Faith, Hope, Love - A Black Clover Fanfiction
by Hoshida Yuujin
Summary: The Wizard King is revered in all of the Clover Kingdom. From Junior Magic Knights to Grand Magic Knights, Julius leads them for the sake of the kingdom. While most Magic Knights belong to any of the nine squads, some special mages, like Alvieha, Cirxen, and Marx, belong to none. This is their story. Disclaimer: I do not own Black Clover, only the original characters in the story.
1. Prologue

**Pronunciations**:

Alvieha - [al veeyeha]  
Cirxen - [surk sen]

* * *

Amidst the foggy darkness roamed fear.

Children trembled and men bore arms. It has been half an hour since the great bells of the Royal Capital disrupted the peaceful night of the common townspeople and nobility alike.

Someone has charged into the royal castle and soldiers were scattered like there's no tomorrow, searching for the perpetrator.

People who were capable of tracing the invader's presence through magic tried and later failed.

What they were dealing with was not an ordinary person.

And what they were dealing with was now in front of the Magic Emperor. Talking with him.

"T-That can't be possible..."

"So, are you really _that_ intent on running from reality?"

"H-How is she?"

"Unlike how you will be, she's doing fine."

"All this time, I yearned to see you. I longed to hear your voice. I hoped to realise how I came to be."

"I only have one request. Only one. And then, you can simply forget about me if you wish."

"Let me be a part of your life. While it lasts."

* * *

And many years passed since then.

Now, the Royal Capital has never once again experienced such alarming infiltration. Not only because security during nighttime has been improved, but additional measures were put into place. As a result, people of the big city slept and enjoyed the night with assurance and comfort.

Meanwhile, in a certain room in the Royal Palace, a certain blue-haired adviser was about to pull his hairs out.

"Mahoutei-sama, you really have no time for things like that! You have a lot of paperwork to handle."

"You can handle this all by you-"

"We cannot! There's a lot of things to settle. The other advisers are already crying blood at the workload that _you_ have to do yourself."

"Can I at least visit the market quickly befo-"

"No."

And the blonde man was defeated. Pouting, he returned to his desk, only to be welcomed by piles and piles of documents. Beside him, Marx, an adviser of his, was also working on something, carefully reading and approving reports one after the other.

While both were swamped with tasks, the wooden door across Julius opened, revealing a certain male with short, snow-white hair clad with an official Magic Knights uniform different from those worn by people of the same ranking. His height may not be out of the ordinary, but his presence was enough for attention.

"Cirxen," cheered the blonde. "Glad you're here. Can you help me with this one?"

"No," the male immediately denied. "Marx-san already scolded me on pampering you. I may be your personal bodyguard, the First Ace, but it doesn't mean I have to protect you from your workload. In that, I can at least let you suffer."

The childish adult pouted. "You're not as cute as when you first started here anymore."

"I don't need to be cute to do my duties," Cirxen noted as he approached Marx. "Also, it's very insulting for a male in his early twenties to be labelled 'cute'."

With a looming figure over his documents, Marx raised his eyes to meet the visitor's. "So, what are you here for?"

"Alvieha told me that she'd be heading somewhere in the Forsaken Region. There's something bothering here."

"Okay," Marx sounded curious, "What seems to be bothering about this place?"

"She didn't say. All I got was that it may be difficult to contact her for several days or weeks, depending on the gravity of the situation. The part of the kingdom she'll be heading to seems to block any form of telepathy."

"I understand," Julius butted in. "That's noted. If you can still contact her, just tell her to stay safe."

With a mask of nonchalance, the First Ace headed to his boss' desk. "Why don't you tell her yourself? I'm still connected with her right now."

The grown man instantly dropped the writing implement he held, excited. "O-Okay. Let me talk to her."

From the other side of the desk, Cirxen leaned down on the sitting man across him and pressed the centre of Julius' forehead with his right index and middle fingers.

Upon touch, the Wizard King instantly felt a twinge of spark. And seconds later, a hollow, isolated-like sound reverberated in his mind and in his ears.

Sounds of wind whistling along with someone breathing caught the grown man's attention. Eager to start the conversation, Julius broke the silence.

"Alvieha, can you hear me?"

From the other end, a voice of a woman gasped in surprise._"_

_"__J-Julius-san? Oh, I see. __Cirxen__ connected you to me. Yes?"_

"I heard you're heading to a restricted part of the kingdom. Is that right?"

_"Yes. I have been near here before, but since I'll be going deeper, I can really not use telepathy to communicate anymore. So, at least, you know. I'll instantly contact you guys once I finish what I'm supposed to do."_

"Okay. In that case. Better stay safe. If it's becoming highly dangerous for you, return to the capital instantly."

_"What are you talking about? It's a Rover's job to inspect mysterious events throughout the kingdom. Don't recommend me to ditch my obligation. Besides, I can handle this. Though it'll just take a while. Hopefully, not."_

"O-Okay. Just stay alive, okay?"

_"Yes, yes. You sound like a doting father."_

Julius simply hummed happily.

_"All right, Julius-san. I'll go now. __Cirxen__, I know you can hear me. I'll just buzz on you once I finish what I have to do."_

"Okay" was all Cirxen responded before Alvieha was cut off.

Meanwhile, somewhere far in the Clover Kingdom, almost near the border with Spade Kingdom, a figure clad in worn-out hooded robe cloak stood facing an eerie view, a forest shrouded in miasma.

_Well, then. Shall we begin?_


	2. Chapter I

**I - The Story of Love: The Meeting**

* * *

It wouldn't be surprising to be scared and willing to turn around, retreating, if someone would traverse into an eerie forest and the fog that came with the environment just didn't help at all.

However, considering that it was part of what she signed up for, Alvieha carefully threaded the barely visible path ahead of her, hoping not to bump into any tree nor step onto something she shouldn't.

_Well_, the young lady pondered as she took wary steps forward, _isn't it about time for me to find any life form in this place? __Where are the boars and crickets?_

The hooded robe she covered herself with didn't really blend with the fog, but it was enough of a mystery to whoever would cross path with the woman. Indeed, she has been walking for at least half an hour and she was yet to find even a bird's nest.

Then again, she couldn't see well.

And because of the fog, the traveller was having unusually difficult time sensing any animals. A few minutes passed and she found herself colliding face first onto a hard, rough surface.

_"Ouch,"_ she whimpered. Cupping her nose for any injury, she thought that, at the very least, there was progress in her journey. Sort of.

As she extended her hands to feel the obstruction ahead, the texture and somewhat large size of the object gave her an inkling of a feeling as to what just caused the slight discomfort – a large boulder.

_"These things can really be a problem in these fogs. It totally blends in."_

As she slowly walked around the large rock, a faint flicker of light from a distance caught her attention.

"_Who's there?" _No one responded, but the previously dim brightness was obviously getting closer and closer.

Alvieha wasn't a woman who'd be scared in a snap of a finger. It would take quite a while for her to scurry to a safe haven, but the incoming figure that came along with the veiled light was raising her suspicions.

Beneath the sleeves of her robe, her hands were at peace, yet, she was already preparing some incantations in her head. If this unknown man or woman was, in the worst-case scenario, an assailant, she _may_ show no mercy.

Luckily for her – and the one who approached her, it wasn't a case.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" It was a young boy around the age of 7. "Didn't the old priest tell you to go outside with a lamp or something? You could be mistaken for a robber."

The lady simply smiled at her interrogator, amused for some reason, and this was not taken positively by the child.

"What's the matter with you? Did this fog clog your mouth or something?"

The boy was becoming ticked, growing impatient for the lack of response from Alvieha, and the girl knew that. So, she took out from underneath her cloak a piece of paper and a writing implement and quickly wrote her response.

Seconds later, she handed down her message to the boy who tilted his head in confusion.

"Don't you worry, I'm not a bad guy. I'm just lost in these woods, you say," the child parroted. "Tell that again _after_ you actually speak, whoever you are."

Alvieha quickly scribbled on her held notepad and tore a page for the boy.

"H-How can I trust you? You're taller than me, you look like a grim reaper that lost his scythe, and you prefer using a notepad instead of speaking your thoughts. And what's with this traveller nonsense in your paper? Do you think I was born stupid?"

_In a few years, I can attest to that..._

The child was a finger away from Alvieha and with his already alert persona, the slight twinge in the lady's lips was caught completely.

"W-What are you smiling about, you weirdo?"

In a panic, Alvieha quickly wrote her response once more and handed it to the child.

"Nothing, you say? If I sense that you're just horsing around, don't bother expecting my help, got that? Follow me. It's a bit hard to talk in this strange fog."

Alvieha followed the boy into the dense unknown, and after several metres – or, at least, it was for her, she found herself led to a front door of a home.

"Let's get inside the house first, and then, we'll settle whatever concern you have here." Alvieha simply nodded in agreement.

The young child then twisted the knob, announcing his return to his own shelter to whoever was inside. His visitor also excused herself.

From inside the humble home, a pattern of footsteps came closer and closer and from the opposite side of the door, a woman appeared.

"Xenios, who is that?" Asked the lady who appeared as the young boy's mother.

"I don't know, some weirdo traveller who got lost in the woods."

"_I'm Vie. Thanks for having me here."_

Xenios the boy quickly turned around to face his visitor, his face etched with surprise.

"So, you _can _talk!"

"_Well, it's not the same way you can,"_ Alvieha smiled.

"Wait... how can you talk with your mouth closed?"

"_I talk with my mind, __Xenios__-kun__. I use telepathy. The fog outside is blocking my magic so I couldn't _talk_ with you earlier. Sorry."_

"What a strange woman, you are..." And after Xenios shook his head, he approached a table to lay his extinguished lamp on it.

Soon after, the woman who looked like the young boy's mum walked to Alvieha, welcoming her. The young lady was then escorted to the dining area for some quick refreshments and bread that rested on a barely filled basket.

As Alvieha was sipping the tea offered to her, the woman who introduced herself as Servana, sat across her, a warm smile never faltering from her face.

"What brings a traveller here to our part of the kingdom?"

"_I'm actually intrigued by this fog,"_ Alvieha concurrently said while enjoying the warm drink. "_I have been to a lot of places and, by far, this phenomenon peaked my curiosity by a lot that I found myself trapped by its mystery."_

Servana placed on the table the cup she took a sip from. "But, to tell you the truth, this fog has only been here recently, Vie-san." This earned a raised brow as well as an enticed 'really' from the traveller.

_"_It wasn't like this a few weeks ago. Everything outside was visible and there was barely anything blocking our eyesight." The young visitor kept her eyes on the speaker, nodding from time to time as she took in the information. Servana continued. "Our small village was hard enough to travel to from outside because of the remoteness and the eerie forest with its hair-raising critters, but the sudden thick fog made it worse that it's already become a dangerous quest just to go to the market two blocks down."

"_Do you guys have any idea how this all happened?"_

Servana shook her head, distraught. "The town's got a big headache on its shoulders. The bakery's almost unable to bake bread, the only fruits and vegetables vendor hadn't had any deliveries for days, even the local butcher closed his shop because the fog's preventing him from decently hunting animals."

As the news rang a bell, Alvieha instantly halted sipping more of her tea and slowly placed the cup on the saucer in front of her, her two hands guiding the ceramic in a calm yet internally frantic manner.

"If we don't get rid of this fog, the townsfolk would be unable to eat nor drink. This town will collapse."

"_D-Did anyone try to do something about this?"_

"The most capable person in this town is the old priest, but he had no idea how to deal with this. The younger people have already began fleeing to nearby towns. Though they may be farther, at least they don't have any visual problems there."

_"How about the lamps?"_

Servana took a quick drink before replying. "That's the best he could've done according to him. At the very least, if some townsfolk would go out in this blurry environment, we'd figure out that it would be one of us. But, if this fog doesn't clear out before all the food in town is eaten, we'll be in a very messy situation."

_For this fog to stay in one place for at least a week... this is unusual._

_Perhaps, I better start looking up on things. But, where should I begin exactly?_


	3. Chapter II

**II - The Story of Love: The Lost**

* * *

Time has passed quite a bit after Alvieha found herself inside the simple residence of Servana and Xenios.

Despite the barely enough food and water, the comfort of the atmosphere within the four walls was sucking her right in. If it wasn't for the fact that there was a fog creating migraines by a dozen beyond the door she passed through earlier, the traveller wanted to stay to talk more with the woman inside.

And when she bid farewell to the folks who were kind enough to share their home, the boy didn't shy away from speaking his mind.

"You can't even speak a word outside of this house and you still plan on going anyway?"

"_Well..."_ Alvieha combed the young boy's locks with her hand. Safe to say, Xenios popped a vein to the familiar gesture. "_I can't stay here forever. Thanks for the hospitality, __Xenios__-kun__._

The woman's cheerful chuckle just turned the kid sourer, quickly swatting the foreign limb off his hair. "Please. Who gave you the slightest permission to even lay on one strand of my hair?"

_He really is a stubborn one. _

"Vie-san," excused the timid Servana who stood within an arm's length distance from the two. "If you walk straight out from the door, it's immediately going to be the road out of this town. Hopefully, you would be able to handle your directions in that dense fog."

"_I hope so, as well," _Alvieha began to worry. "_My communication is already messed up outside, not being able to clearly see where I'm going is making it worse for me."_

_"_Tell us something we _don't _know."

"_I appreciate the hospitality you two just offered me. Thanks for your time."_

"Good luck out there, young one."

And with a quick nod and smile, the Rover left the household, hoping her steps within the fuzzy environment would not lead her deeper into the murkiness.

* * *

For minutes, feet slowly advanced amidst the veiled ground path, or at least, that's what she was hoping for.

_Judging from the density of the fog, it's certainly created by magic, not by natural causes unlike the ones I've seen previously. _

_Although, I would admit. I feel it's denser here than immediately outside __Servana's__ house. _

_If this is the case, I must be getting closer to the source. _

Within a few more metres, a flame of suspicion flickered brightly. _Did I stray,_ the woman pondered. A short distance away, a towering darkness began to hint her answers.

_If I didn't, I shouldn't be seeing something along the way._

As Alvieha moved closer, the silhouette grew taller. A few more steps and the lady's hands in front of her came in contact with a rough material. She tried to feel the object. She knocked on the surface.

It was hard. Stone. And it had little weeds growing through the cracks.

In her mind, there may be a tower in front of her.

_Where's the entrance of this place?_

With her hands on the obstacle, she slowly walked sideways, her palms pressing on and off the wall. When her touch failed to feel any texture, the sudden imbalance caused her to tumble, arm first onto the ground.

A quick thud echoed followed by winces of pain and discomfort. Two feet quickly stood; hands removed any possible dirt collected by her hooded robe. Once contented, Alvieha felt lost once more. She felt the hard surface no longer.

She was standing in a thick fog. Alone. Open to any hostilities.

Wanting to proceed, the lady paced herself like a turtle. Her feet connected with every advance.

As she moved, the previously hard floor began to creak. Alvieha bent over to feel the surface. She knocked once more. It was wood. And when she carefully patted below her, a metal ring got caught by her finger. She pulled it towards her but it was stuck. The woman moved sideways and pulled again.

Her heart stopped. A sound of progress rang in her ears. The metal ring was raised and stray winds began rushing in from beneath her.

Alvieha carefully moved in the dense fog, her hands as her guide as she sensed the floor. There was now a hole where the wooden surface was.

She just opened an entrance. And it was towards beneath her.

Mentally elated by the development, she manoeuvred herself cautiously towards the dark pit, feet first. As she kicked on the sides, she felt metal bars. Horizontals and verticals. There were steps and sides of a ladder stuck on the periphery of the entryway.

She took a chance. She sent her legs lower, clinging over hard steps. Her hands wandered on the sides reaching for the handles. When she felt satisfied and secured, she continued to descend, one step at a time.

Wind continued to howl behind her, her cloak fluttering at every breeze. It lasted minutes until a speck of light under her caught Alvieha's attention. She hastened, feet briefly touched one step after another, her hands simply slid down the metal bar.

* * *

After five whole minutes in the darkness, she found herself in a completely different surrounding.

The light was blinding. Rows of shelves full of books as far as her eyes can see. Wooden furniture here and there. In the far side from her, a wooden spiralling staircase stood in glory, its numerous steps were so much for Alvieha's neck to handle.

It was a whole, new world.

Her hands left the cold metal handle as the lady marched into the vast, mysterious territory.

_A library..._

Orbs of precious hue scoured the area, imprinting images into the lady's mind. Wings fluttered. Rays of sunshine showered the room. Winds howled and flowed from one side to the other. For Alvieha, this was her first in such a place. However, as eyes landed at one corner after another, a wave within her began crashing her thoughts.

_Isn't this place..._

Without further judgment, the hooded woman marched further into the room, getting farther and farther from the metal ladder she clung on earlier. She advanced through rows of literature and knowledge, singing birds, and shining marble statues. As her figure landed at the foot of the tall staircase, her eyes retried trailing the steps. Seconds later, her neck ached.

It took seconds for the pain to subside before deciding to proceed.

One step followed another in quick intervals. She was eager to walk up the wooden road, a certain picture in mind. But the steps were giving her a run for her money. Minutes already passed, yet, the top was still nothing but bright emptiness. She stopped to catch her breath, hands on her knees in exhaustion, when she simply decided to bypass it all.

With a few mental chants, her feet left the stairs, the ends of her robe fluttering beneath her. With content, she raced to the top in a decent speed, her flight completely dismissing the tiresome steps.

After a short while, a large, wooden door, brown with white linings, welcomed her floating form at the end of the stairs.


	4. Chapter III

**III - The Story of Love: The Survivor**

* * *

Indeed, it was an intimidating welcoming party.

To be in front of a towering door, with knockers way bigger than one's own self, one would think a giant was on the other side.

For Alvieha, it mattered not. With one raise of a brow, the two gigantic metal rings raised like paper. With a flick of her finger, the enormous wooden panels gave way, revealing more rows of shelves. Only this time, the sizes had an upgrade.

Slowly, the caster ushered herself in, still airborne. More books welcomed her as she inched from the entrance.

In terms of quantity, the room below faded in comparison. And, this time, to her judgment, each bound work of knowledge had sizes too large for any of her friends to hold.

It wouldn't come as a surprise if a giant was, truly, in there.

She continued drifting, not straying from a straight path, as the monumental entrance slowly shrank into the distance.

A few more minutes in the air and she spotted a giant, wooden pedestal. On it was an open book.

Her floating form slowly moved towards the oversized tome, but as she was about to descend to get a closer look, she was blown off-course. Something her eyes hadn't laid on pushed her away.

"Who goes there?" A stern and deep voice boomed.

Once she stabilised her flight, Alvieha scanned the area. To the shelves, to the tables, to the pedestal. Even to the direction of the door. There was no one in sight.

_"__W-Who's there?"_

"So, you're a telepath. A rare skill. If it wasn't for your trespassing, we could've considered sitting together while drinking tea."

Orbs of precious hue continued to search the area for any life, but to no avail.

Laced with amusement, the disembodied voice continued. "You won't see me where you're looking. To your left."

When Alvieha moved, a figure that wasn't there before was standing on an immense, wooden table. The lady hovered closer, her eyes not leaving the first life form she has seen in the room.

Immediately, she noticed hair that resembled silk and almost reached the wooden furniture. The person was wearing too much cloth, white in colour, that it gave the mage the impression of a nun. As she closed the gap, several markings on the face came to view.

But what gave her a slight shock were two pointy appendages sticking out of the stranger's lengthy hair.

_"__Y-You're an elf..._"

"And you're a human. Now that the externally obvious is out of the way, who the hell are you and what are you doing here?"

_"__My name's __Alvieha__Laghda__, and the place you have here is very wonderful–"_

"And off-limits to humans." the elf interrupted. "Turn back now and return to where you entered this place from. Anything you've seen here mustn't be shared to anyone. If you don't..."

_"__I thought elves were peaceful creatures. Can you at least give me a tour of this place before I leave? I enjoy reading books from time to time."_

She was instantly shot down. "Leave. If you got yourself into this room, you can get yourself out."

_"__That maybe, but the fog outside says otherwise. Are you the one behind this?" _She got a monotonous grunt as a reply. "_In that case, I request you remove it first."_

_"Those outside cannot function well because of zero visibility. They can't look for food, get water, or even go out of their homes safely thanks to this fog._

"And why would I do that," the elf turned to his back. "I don't have any obligation to do such thing. The fog is there to protect this tower. Come. Walk with me. I believe I have to tell you its importance."

As the elf continued to distance, Alvieha's head began to spin.

_I thought this one wanted me gone. Now, he's giving me a grand tour?_

The woman quickly caught up with the fully dressed elf and talked with every step. When both reached the edge of the table, Alvieha suspended herself in the air, and so did the other.

"This library was created through the collaboration of giants and elves many years back. While the lower floors catered to us, this floor served as the giants' retreat and knowledge hub."

_"__I didn't know there were giants in Clover Kingdom..."_

"There weren't. This tower moves from place to place to protect all the information hidden within its walls. When the giants disappeared from the world, all that was left were the elves who helped keep this place from falling apart."

And the elf suddenly came to a halt, prompting Alvieha to freeze on her feet.

"And, when this tower appeared for the first time here in Clover Kingdom, my brethren were enticed to attend a wedding we were yet to witness – a bond between an elf and a human."

_Ah, the White Wedding._

_"Did you attend?"_

"If I did, I won't be here," serious eyes darted to Alvieha. She knew the history, yet, oddly enough, the orbs directed at her weren't as clouded as she thought. "I was the youngest of all the elves that ran this place. They left me behind because of a mountain of tasks they threw at me."

"If I think of it now, it was a good thing they were lazy and slowpokes." Golden orbs revisited the mage. "Perhaps, you're wondering. Why didn't I avenge my fallen friends? Why did I detain myself in this paper prison?"

_"__I sort of am now, actually..."_

"With all the knowledge I have in this place, those barbarians could've easily fallen. Any book in here contained spells, incantations, and arts impossible for mere humans to avoid, much less, deflect."

_"__So.__.. why... didn't you do it?"_

"Bloodshed did not cause this library to exist. Nor did hatred and violence. It was patience."

"A previous senior of mine once said, 'Time, as it ages, teaches all things. And although time is gold, knowledge is power. That's why, ever since that day, I shrouded the tower with fog. To deter anyone who'd come here, attack, and plunder the wisdom and knowledge accumulated here for eons."

Behind the elf, Alvieha was all ears. Not one letter escaped her.

She was a fresh sponge to the flow of words. She took it in, none got out. The lady squeezed her eyes, processing the thought as she nodded occasionally.

"And if I left this tower then, or maybe, this forest days ago, I wouldn't have met someone who'd seriously listen to me."

_"__C-Come again?"_

And two golden orbs rolled. "Oh, come on. Do you want to borrow my ears?"

_"__N-Not that!__ I wasn't expecting you to say something like that. I mean, you wanted me gone earlier, and now, you just practically said you're happy that I didn't listen to you."_

On the elf's face, a small smile appeared. "I, indeed, miss these kinds of bantering."

_"__In that case, if you want to, I can go back here anytime. It's not a problem for me, as long as I can function outside of this place. The fog is disabling my magic."_

"In that case, follow me."

_"__Where?"_

"To the main entrance. Let's remove the fog."

_"__H-Ha?!"_


	5. Chapter IV

**IV - The Story of Love: The Promise**

* * *

_"R-Remove the fog? A-Are you serious?"_

"No, we'll be playing hide and seek." Alvieha was taken aback. "Come to think of it, I can kick you of here instead so I don't need to search for any deaf human."

_"What I mean is... why a sudden change of heart?"_

"You said you would visit me anytime as long as there's no fog covering the tower. The fog may be protecting this place, but I'm not going to let a guest get away just because of synthetic clouds beyond my doorstep," the elf then distanced from Alvieha.

Meanwhile, a heartfelt grin snuck on the lady's face, cherishing a memory. After passing through the colossal entrance, the elf headed upwards. Beyond the staircase. Alvieha followed.

* * *

As they flew higher, darkness also started to take over their surroundings. While the two shadows raced to the top, no one uttered a sound; it was a silent flight. All that echoed within the hollow tower were the sounds of their breathing and tweets of birds on small windows along the tower.

While flying, Alvieha glanced at the small openings. Outside, as expected; it was as blurry and impossible as it was earlier. When her eyes returned up ahead, her companion has already gained quite a distance. Determined to catch up, she collected strength on her two feet.

And, then, she sprang up.

It didn't take her long. At the peak, the elf was already waiting. On a hallway faintly illuminated with mounted torches, Alvieha's companion stood, hands crossed while back on the wall. When she arrived at the top, she instantly got a cold greeting.

"I didn't know humans have the gall to let others wait for them."

_"M-my bad. I wasn't expecting you'd … you'd fly very quickly,"_ the woman apologised, taking in precious oxygen as she spoke. "_Although... I thought we'd go down to where I entered from."_

"That was merely the back door," Alvieha was slowly being left behind. She dashed to reach the companion. "Besides, I have to be on high ground if I want to remove the fog." The lady simply hummed.

The short walk was relaxed; both tried to familiarise each other. For Alvieha, she continued their chat with the question she should've already asked.

_"It's a bit awkward to talk to you not knowing your name. Can I?"_

"Alqueivious [Al **kee**yey veey_uh_s] Ng. Call me Alqueivious."

_"That's quite a mouthful,"_ Alvieha joked with a chuckle._ "How about I call you __Alque__ instead? The latter part of your name sounds like an accident waiting to happen."_

The elf huffed. "Suit yourself, Alvieha." The other only giggled.

Both continued exchanging words.

What does it look like outside this tower? In what kind of places has the tower appeared so far? Who's the current ruler of this land? Queries like such. But, the last one stuck for a while.

_"Is it lonely being alone in this tower?"_

"Of course, it is," Alqueivious came out bold. "Once, many idiots ran amok here. Now, the only sounds I hear are mine and the occasional birds mating above the shelves."

"But, I believe I accepted this for quite some time already. Fate runs in mysterious ways, Alvieha. There is a reason why I was left behind in this tower."

_So true_...

And both reached the end of the path. Two wooden slabs, weathered by time and adorned with rusting metal, stood against them.

"Well, that's the main entrance," Alqueivious commented, dusting off two hands as the procedure was prepared.

"Here we go."

With two hands in front, the elf pushed the door open. Instantly, fog welcomed them – not the trees, nor the mountains beyond the horizon, but aggregated water droplets.

For a while, two long ears rejected any sound. Eyes shut, chest expanded, mind cleared. The elf prepared. And once hands were in the air once more, two golden orbs shined amidst the fog.

The elf's voice was low. "Yuan ta de weida..."

For Alvieha, the words were unfamiliar. She could've been puzzled by what the elf was saying, but let it pass. To her, it may be the incantation needed to remove the visibility concern.

The chant was subtle. It was short. And when Alqueivious ceased uttering words foreign to her, Alvieha prepared herself. The process will now _really _commence.

With the elf's hands now coated with light, two arms were spread further apart. Out of thin air, an illuminating book materialised in front of the elf. It rapidly opened, pages flying very quickly, until it came to a halt.

"Gas Magic: Fading Veil."

As the grimoire shined brighter, the surrounding became clearer and clearer. Birds flying beyond the blue skies became more visible. The green trees, the firm, brown soil, even other wildlife of various colours, they became more noticeable by the second.

Witnessing the phenomenon, Alvieha couldn't stop herself from standing with awe. The white nothingness shrouding the area, the hindrance to her earlier expedition, was fading gradually.

After a few minutes, the fog completely vanished. Rocks and leaves now bathed in sunlight. Meanwhile, the tower was now completely naked, so did Alvieha and Alqueivious.

With a snap, the floating grimoire shut and let air devour it in plain sight. Beside the elf, the visitor of the tower still had to utter a word.

Alqueivious stared at Alvieha, one brow raised. "The fog is now gone. You might want to close your mouth before the birds here get lost in there."

_"T-That was... amazing,"_ Alvieha jumped at the elf, grabbing the other's hands into hers. _"The fog that covered the entire forest... you lifted it easily."_

"Learn to clean up after oneself, I believe," Alqueivious said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Since I created the fog, I can get rid of it as well. What did you assume? That I'd summon some birds to blow the fog away?"

Alvieha simply chuckled nervously – mentally.

"Well, then. Now that the fog is gone, I assume you're going, yes?"

_"Not just yet,"_ Alvieha popped the bubble. _"I may have seen some books earlier that I'm a bit interested in. Can I stay here for a while? Of course, I won't stay for free."_

The elf's head tilted. "What do you mean?"

Alvieha's hands moved beneath her cloak. _"As thanks for letting me read all the book I want here," _two pale hands emerged from underneath the worn-out garment. _"Take this."_

On the elf's own appendages, a silver pendant shaped like a coin landed. On its surface, a symbol of a teardrop in front of a blooming six-petalled flower was engraved.

"W-What is this?"

_"__That's a locket. Open it." _The elf followed. Another symbol behind the cover was etched; it was an animal the long-eared fellow previously seen in a book previously read. A bull.

_"Take care of that, okay? I got that from someone I really cherish."_

"Then, why would you give this to me–"

_"That's because I know we'd meet again someday. Maybe, not because I visited your tower. __But,__ because you ventured out of here. In case I do forget, show this thing to me and the rest would be fine. Can you promise that?"_

"You humans sure have weird customs, now do you?"

_"Sure, embarrass me after being kind."_

Away from Alvieha's precious orbs, a bright smile appeared.

_"Come on, __Alque__," _Alvieha returned inside the tower. _"I need to start reading the books you have here. I'm sure my partners won't be looking for me just yet."_

"Before that. Time flows differently inside the tower. And since the fog has been cleared, I would be moving this tower somewhere else in a moment. For safety."

_"Even better. Travelling while reading. Make sure you pop this place beside a hot spring, okay?"_

"Might as well send this place underwater if you're that in to swimming, but I already warned you about the time difference, all right. Don't blame me if you missed a lot of things."

_"I won't, I won't. I'd need a lot of time if I want to read this place dry."_

And after seconds, just like the fog that ravaged the area, the tower near the small town of Albuepo vanished.


	6. Chapter V

**V - The Story of Love: The News**

* * *

Weeks passed by.

And Alvieha enjoyed her stay in the Vanishing Tower. Although, in reality, she was only there for several days.

Alqueivious did warn her.

When the tower reappeared, it popped up in the Common Region. This time, it was distant from any town. Alvieha later comprehended the importance of the fog, so she let Alqueivious shroud the place as long as no livelihood would be affected.

Before Alvieha departed, she gazed at the elf friend, smiling and promising to return whenever she can. A grin was returned at her. Using a special stone Alqueivious handed her, she managed herself out of the dense surrounding easily, not colliding with any tree, boulder, or stray deer or bears. It also directed her away from a nearby cliff.

And when she finally stepped out of the bizarre environment, the gift she received shattered into pieces, as what Alqueivious warned her about.

After pocketing the remnants beneath her brown cloak, she began to walk. To the city closest. Nairn.

* * *

_I can't believe that guy. _

_How can a guy like him have such prettier hair than I do?_

_And that face..._

_No matter where I looked, he really looks like a woman. _

_Then again. If I had problems then, why not have them now?_

The journey to the city was leisure for the woman. She didn't bother using magic; she let her two feet do the work for her. When a carriage filled with apples passed, she asked to buy a piece or two.

It has been half an hour since then, and three pieces already left her paper bag. Her hands were already fishing out the fourth one when a sudden communication made her drop the bag on the ground.

_"__Alvieha__! Where have you been!?"_

The instant ringing on her head caused the apples to crash on dirt. Hopefully, not damaged.

_"C-__Cirxen__?!"_ Alvieha was still disoriented. _"What was that for?"_

_"When you told __me__ you'd be gone for days, you didn't say five weeks! Where the heck __were__ you? Even I couldn't detect your signal."_

The woman wished to apologise. _"Pardon me, dear, but time walked by so fast for me. I've been __reading __books here and there."_

_"Which one? __The latest issue of Clover Kingdom's Top 10 Men to Date or that new booklet I've been hearing about__?__ What was it... __uhm...__ How to Undress Your Men in Five Seconds?__"_

_"W-__Wha__? No. Not then, anyway. I __was in __the Vanishing Library."_

Cirxen kept silent for a while. _"Ah, __alright.__ How was he?"_

_"__As what you'd expect with the hair__; it's prettier than mine__,"_ Alvieha bent to lift the bag and resumed walking. _"Did something happen?"_

_"__Fuegoleon__ was attacked."_

Alvieha ceased moving. _"Get __outta__ here."_

_"If you want me to fool around, I can throw myself off a cliff and __in between__ portals__.__Of course, I__ may __get__ nausea, __and__, __I may instantly vomit on your face once you stop me__. __But,__ I digress. __I'm serious. Some terrorists __sacked__ the capital, left __Fuegoleon__ unconscious and one limb detached, and __went away with__the__ magic stone he had in his person."_

At that moment on, the lady's mind began to go blank.

To her, Fuegoleon Vermillion is one person, aside from obvious choices, that she truly admired – and the one captain she'd willingly spend one night or two with. The masculinity, the pride, the attitude, and that body. The man's presence alone was ecstasy for the young belle.

To hear her beloved get involved in an attack, disfigured, and left in a coma. She needed time to swallow everything.

_"I-If I was..."_

_"If I was able to __get a hold of__ you, __you could've done something for sure__. The fog could've arrived at a better timing."_

_"N-Not exactly..."_ Her voice was caving in. _"It's actually my fault. I stayed inside the tower all this time. If I left earlier..."_

_"Well, there's nothing we can do at this point. It's been more than 24 hours since his comatose. Even if you rush here__ now__, we couldn't wake him up."_

_"I-I suppose."_

_"__Perhaps, __it was meant __for us to not__join the party__, so s__top__ being sorry for yourself, okay? It'll affect me and her, too. Just continue the survey over there and come back here from time to time."_

Alvieha's voice was still broken. Though tears weren't flowing out, the distress in her tone was enough to convey despair. She tried to take a deep breath in before collecting herself.

_"__P-__Perhaps, I'll do that. I'll visit Nairn first, and then, I'd return to the capital."_

_"Are you near there right now?"_

_"Not really visible from here, __but,__ Nairn is the closest city to where I am__ at the moment__."_

_"That's good. Perhaps, visiting the town's church can help you ease your pain. __I know you're not religious, but, __thinking __how__the f__inanciall__y incapable__could__ even affor__d stained glass ca__n, maybe, __take your mind off things__. See __you__ when __you__ get here."_

And with a few more goodbyes, Cirxen cut the line.

Meanwhile, while standing beside a dirt road with arms carrying fruits, Alvieha was still in a daze.

Fuegoleon Vermillion is a disciplined, talented, young man. He is one of those fire mages she knew that could take care of themselves quite well, so how did it even happen?

Cirxen may be something, but he couldn't possibly lie to her. So, something **must **have happened that caused Fuegoleon to not raise a finger amidst the assault.

To add more pain, Cirxen was right. If she was at the capital, she and Cirxen could've patched the Crimson Lion captain within minutes and even get him back the set of fingers he lost. But, the operation could only be done within 12 hours after the incident. Apprently, she was out in the library for weeks.

Forget making Fuegoleon whole again, she couldn't even wake him up now. No matter how perky the negligee she'd wear would make her appear.

Temporarily suspending her paper bag in mid-air, Alvieha quickly slapped her cheeks with her palms.

_Cirxen__ had a point. This may have happened for a reason. There's no point being depressed. I'm sure __Fuegoleon__ won't die like that. We still haven't had our moments._

_Anyway, I better __hurry if I want to reach Nairn before nightfall. _

Determined and red on the cheeks, Alvieha hastened her pace to the city. Her feet didn't leave the ground.

* * *

It was a tiring trip. With the paper bag now emptied and pocketed, Alvieha wished she brought water with her. Lucky for her, she was getting closer.

After hours of lonesome, the moon had already reigned the dark, starry night. And because of the apples she bought, she failed to feel hunger. Only thirst. The winds combing her hair was soothing, so her pain was alleviated a bit.

Birds were already slumbering. Crickets were now serenading. But, it didn't matter to Alvieha. After a few more steps, she finally saw the great church of Nairn. At least, she hoped it was, considering the darkness.

But, before moving any further, a question began boggling her mind.

White powder was being blown her way. And it was summertime.

_I.__..Is__ t__his __snow?_


	7. Chapter VI

**VI - The Story of Love: The Chaos**

* * *

_S-Snow?_

_Great. Just great. _

_Earlier, it was fog. Now, it has to be __snow__. _

_What's wrong with this kingdom?_

Although it was night and she was yet to set foot inside Nairn, the raining snow was clear as day to Alvieha. To add more, her experienced senses are picking up a strange mana cycle. Eager to get to the bottom of it, the Rover fixed her cloak and hastened to the city, her thirst completely overshadowed.

* * *

As she entered the town, the cold sensation on her feet instantly sent chills up her spine. Alvieha was wearing a cloak from head to toe, but only had sandals underneath. After every step, snow snuck under her soles, she shivered.

_This snow is __beyond __normal. It's a bit similar to __Alque's__ fog. At least, I can see through this. Let's see if I can talk in this. _

Everywhere she looked, there were adults, screaming names and worrying. She approached a nearby mother, careful not to get snow under her feet, and asked. To her luck, she was able to converse with no problem. Apparently, her son disappeared from his bed in the middle of the night.

When Alvieha asked another parent, he, too, said his daughter wasn't in bed when he checked.

As distraught guardians yelled and walked in circles, Alvieha found herself in the middle of the crowd, her head putting the pieces together.

_This seems like a__ mass kidnapping._

_Hang on. Don't tell me... _

While the young woman contemplated, several corners away, more distraught mothers and fathers were out, calling out their children. Amidst the panicked crowd, a silver-haired woman stood out.

Keeping her fright under wraps, she went to the centre of the street to gather everyone's attention.

"Everyone, please stay calm. We, the Magic Knights, will find all the kids."

Parents nearby stopped their yelling and circled the teenager in a black cloak. Some approached the lass, wishing for their children to be located. After promising their safe return to every worried soul that asked her, the Magic Knight retreated to a nearby home, right after she relayed the information to the Headquarters.

Within minutes, word spread to the other parts of Nairn – that the Magic Knights were on the case.

* * *

Meanwhile, still out in the cold, Alvieha was engaging with someone telepathically.

_"Well, what do you think?"_

_"Hm... so, why should there be no snow again?"_

A stressed sigh was heaved. _"Because it's not the season for that."_

_"Then, what season is it supposed to be now?"_

_"It's summertime, __you__ cheesecake. To have snow at this time of year is as strange as seeing a chicken wear a tutu __and play__ the piano with its beak."_

_"__But,__ that would __make__ good entertainment."_

Alvieha nodded at the thought. _"True, but we're digressing. __D__o you get the gist of what I'm trying to say?"_

_"That... may be the plan I've been hearing. I suppose you can check it out, though, but, remember. As long as you don't do anything drastic, everything would be the way it should be."_

_"Hopefully, so. Well, see __ya__ when I see __ya__."_

And the line was cut.

As Alvieha returned her attention to her surrounding, there was still snow from above, but the people were getting organised. Individuals in black veils were scattered all over the streets, guiding tensed up parents to temporary sanctuary underneath the church roof.

The mage took notice of the queue and decided to trail the line of perturbed guardians. When she arrived inside the biggest building in town, the sight of anxious men and women, both adult and teens, sent her to worry.

Couples hugged in a corner, comforting each other while whispering calming words. Single parents were kneeling towards the altar, their hands firmly knitted in front of them, praying for their children's well-being and safe return.

Wishing to ease the pain, Alvieha offered her assistance to the nuns inside the church. They provided porridge and drinks to the hungry parents, blankets to the shivering mothers and fathers, and a shoulder to cry on to some others.

At the time the mage was folding some blankets with several nuns, she gazed at the window and towards the sky. The moon has already passed its peak. As the women accompanying her excused themselves, Alvieha finished folding her last one, then headed to an unoccupied hallway.

While her eyes were fixed at the moon while her back on a wall, Alvieha was trying to wake up a certain white-haired male miles away from her.

Luckily for the young miss, he got up.

_"Do you have any idea what time it is, __Alvieha__."_ Cirxen's voice was weak and hoarse, different from his usual cool and deep one.

_"Well, excuse me, if I'm working overtime. I need you to do something for me. __Can you take care of this as quickly as you can?"_

The other line was silent for a second, before responding with a deeper voice. _"Granted."_


	8. Chapter VII

**VII - The Story of Love: The Witness**

* * *

With her hands on one knee and one leg folded under the other, a female in a worn-out, hooded cloak sat on a wooden stool outside the church doors.

The moon was with her, giving her light as the seconds went by. As irises of precious hue trailed the skies, Alvieha heaved a deep sigh.

_Around this time, I have a feeling the first group of support is on their way. _

_It would be nice to be a spectator of the conflict, __but,__ I may be dipping my feet too much into it. Then again... I can be there without _**_really _**_being there._

As the Rover lost herself in thought, someone emerged from inside the holy building. It approached Alvieha who didn't even budge at the sound of the door as it opened.

When a foreign limb landed on the mage's shoulder, her Earthly attachment shot up once more.

"O-Oh, I'm so sorry, Alvieha-san," cried the nun.

_"D-Don't be, Sister,"_ replied the other as she tried to calm the other person down. _"What's brings you out here? Couldn't sleep?"_

"There's that. Also, I'm here to thank you for volunteering to watch outside in case someone would appear and for helping us out earlier with calming the parents down." Alvieha nodded with a smile as a reply. "Most of them are now sleeping on the benches."

_"They didn't want to go home, yet. They're too anxious about their children and their safety. I'm not a mother, __but,__ I understand the pain."_ The nun agreed with a short head gesture. _"I just hope whoever's doing this would answer to the crime."_

The two ladies continued talking the night away, until the veiled woman returned inside the church after hearing her voice being called.

For a few more hours, Alvieha had her back on the wall, her head hung low with her hands still on her knee. Though her mind was clear and her senses numbed, a sudden rift in the fabric of space nearby got her to shoot up and float right into the church.

At the hallway, the unexpected sight of children left and right was a shock for Alvieha. Slowly putting her feet on the ground, she quickly ran and turned to a corner.

She saw a rift and through it was a line of children. Some had bruises, most had tear stains on their faces, and one had a black cloak on his shoulders. Beside the rift, a certain womanizer she knew was standing. Finral Roulacase.

_It's nice to finally see someone familiar. _

She walked closer to the brunet male and commended him, much to the nobleman's surprise.

_"It seems the children are all back, thanks to you."_

"A-Alvieha-san." Finral was genuinely pleased to see her. "It's you."

_"I hope so, __'cause__ if not, I may be wearing the wrong bra."_ The male simply chuckled nervously. _"I assume you didn't respond to this alone. __Who went with you?"_

"Captain Yami. He's still back there with Asta-kun." And Alvieha shot him a confused look. "He's a newbie." She, then, understood.

_"Is there someone else?"_

Finral nodded. "Gauche is inside getting patched up."

While Alvieha waited with Finral for all the children to pass through the rift, from the corner, parents began to flood. Little eyes which instantly lit to familiar faces began to water as tiny feet rushed to either their mother or father.

As more families reunited, more cries and wails echoed throughout the halls. The sight was wonderful for Alvieha. To see both a mother and a father wrap their arms around their child, enveloping their young blessing with warmth and reconnected love, it unconsciously let a conflicted smile ran across the mage's facial features.

Without her knowing, her left arm crept to hold her right. In the pit of her stomach, emotions began to boil. Melancholy. Faint Envy. Loathing. And the emerging sunlight from the nearby windows weren't easing her feelings either.

But, before it attempted to break through the dam, a completely uncalled for of a threat shuttered her thoughts and brought her back to reality.

"Don't you dare die, you old had!"

In the hall, Alvieha grew puzzled. _"W-__What was__ that?"_

Curious, the hooded lady left the acquaintance and walked to the nearby room, her eyes peeking through the gap of the door. Inside, aside from more children, many healers were present, casting magic on three patients, a white-skinned person she hasn't met before, a cursing, slender, recognisable, young man who was kneeling beside a bed, and a woman in black veil who was on the bed. While one healer each took care of the first two people, three surrounded the nun.

Alvieha had no idea what really unfolded, but, as it appeared, it looked it the religious woman got herself in quite a predicament.

"Hey, wake up, old hag!" Gauche yelled. "You're supposed to be some immortal monster hag!"

From the hall, several children passed by Alvieha and rushed into the room, obviously worried about the older woman's state. Meanwhile, Gauche was tutting on the bed, evidently gutted by the situation.

As Alvieha glanced at the scenario before her, a certain nobleman decided to excuse himself into the room, worried about his comrade.

"Gauche," Finral noted. "You're hurt really badly, too, so you should worry about your own–"

"Shut up!"

Alvieha was half-shocked at the blunt response.

As the seconds passed by, the healer tending to Gauche announced his near completion, saying that no fatal wounds were taken by the male. Instead of being grateful, the Mirror Magic user shut the person behind him to focus on the lying elderly woman instead.

He was gagging.

Gauche continued to threaten, demanding the nun to open her eyes. He was masking his worry, but it was simply not clinging by the skin of his teeth.

Until a weak, pained voice rebutted.

"Tone it down..." It was the nun. "I can hear you, idiot."

The children immediately sprang to life, though still uneasy about the patient. Gauche did, as well, as his face was contorted with emotions Alvieha never knew he had. To her, the male was a loner, couldn't care less of other people who weren't his sister, and a brute, to say the least, but, to see Gauche worry about someone else beside his sibling, it was a view to behold.

As the Mirror mage leaned over the nun, an aged, feeble hand slowly came to feel his cheeks. It was the nun's, and she was giving Gauche every magic she had left. From her fingertips, bright flame, as the woman's affiliation was fire, began to alight, but not scorching the male.

It was unexpected by Gauche, but the nun continued anyway.

"Take my magic. You're going to save them, aren't you? Asta and the others..."

"I never said I'd..."

"You changed... after meeting him. I'm counting on you, Gauche."

And as soon as the fire burned out, her limb fell back on the soft mattress, her weakness enticing more woes from the children. At the side lines, Finral and Alvieha stood strong.

"You're joking, right?" Gauche was taking none of it. "Who said you could die?"

In anger, the male turned around and pulled the mage behind him by the collar, demanding to resurrect the nun.

He was feeling abandoned, forlorn. He didn't want to admit it, but the nun grew on him, especially after all she has done to his sister. To see the old lady go, he couldn't accept it. This had to be a mistake, a grave fault.

Yet, Sister Theresa was lying down behind him, unmoving. He shook the healer to bring back the nun to life.

"Do something," Gauche commanded.

"B-But..."

"Marie's going to be sad, damn it!"

"She's alive."

Lucky for Alvieha, she was in the hall, not entirely in perfect view. Still, she tried to hold her laughter behind her cupped hands, to not earn any irk from the hot-headed male.

Meanwhile, Gauche returned to the nun, expressing his mixed emotions. Although, everyone felt it.

He was glad Sister would make it.

"I'm a monster hag, remember? I won't kick the bucket so easily."

"Relax and get over there, you sister complex freak."

Children then rallied around the mage, wishing to help the fight. They asked Gauche to use their magic, to help the Asta kid that was left behind. The man dressed in white clothing was first to offer his powers. Gauche's sister then followed.

"Everyone lives by supporting each other," Marie noted.

At that moment on, Gauche felt a breakthrough.

He has always focused on nothing else but his sister. To him, the rest could all go to dust and he wouldn't give any concern. But, when he met his captain, it was a calling.

To protect just what he wanted to protect. The words his captain said the moment they met. It rang in his mind. He has been living his life to protect only his sister.

But now, he can use his life to protect more. Not only Marie. But the others who matter.

"I know what I have to do now."

Eager to begin, Gauche marched to Finral, requesting for his help. He asked to be returned back to where they were before.

For Finral, it was a hard wish. They barely got themselves out of a precarious situation. They were up against an opponent that, according to him, had immense magical prowess. What's more, he had been transporting children back to town all night. Even if they could go back, he couldn't open a second portal back. He's almost empty.

It was a futile and foolish request. A death wish.

But, it wasn't the case for Gauche. He had a plan. Though not confident things would go his way, he was sure they can turn the tables.

"FInral, please..." Gauche pleaded. The brunet still thought otherwise, but, a bow from the usually headstrong and egotistical teammate caused him to waver.

He tried to voice his way out of it more. Until Alvieha decided to step in. With a soft clap, all eyes turned to the door, to the person in a brown hooded cloak.

The children had no idea who she was, but, a mixture of shock and relief ran across Gauche's face the moment he saw the smirk on Alvieha's face.

_"Well, isn't this a splendid sight."_

"Alvieha..." Gauche couldn't believe it.

_"To think the usually unapproachable and completely selfish Gauche would lower himself to aid someone in battle,"_ the belle uttered, with amusement laced in her tone. _"What a miracle."_

An agitated mage then rushed to Alvieha. He stopped in front of her, looking down at the woman whose height he surpassed by a few centimetres.

"C-Can you help us with this one?"

_"It's not really part of my new job description, but __you're _**_this _**_motivated__. Let's see what I can do."_


	9. Chapter VIII

**VIII - The Story of Love: The Reinforcements**

* * *

"Alvieha! We don't have time for this."

_"What are you talking about? There's always time for a quick wardrobe check,"_ Alvieha replied while alone inside a room, checking herself in front of a full-length mirror. _"I want to air out this outfit of mine before we go."_

"No, we don't," Gauche argued, his teeth grinding in agitation. "We have to go back quickly before it gets too late."

After a few seconds, Alvieha exited the room, back in her brown, full-body protection. _"If we leave immediately, the potion I gave __Sister__ would not work well. I have to stay here five minutes _**_after _**_she ingested it. If side-effects kick in and I'm not here, you won't be returning to an old lady in this town any longer."_

Although restless, the taller male had to agree.

Immediately after Alvieha offered to support Gauche, she gave Sister Theresa a potion she had with her. It was for mana recovery. However, she had to be there for a while to make sure all goes well.

The belle didn't want to handle any elderly, writhing, screaming in agony after they return from the mountains. She had to be close for a few minutes.

When Alvieha returned to the nursing room with Gauche right beside her, she instantly approached the patient. Fortunately, Sister Theresa was calm and in slumber.

Her medication is working like they should be.

_"I guess we can go now,"_ Alvieha confirmed. A spark of thrill then instantly brightened Gauche's face.

_"But... I just don't feel confident of not being here to watch over her." _

"So, you're **not** going to help us back there?!"

_"I have a feeling I should, but..."_

Agitated, Gauche instantly picked Alvieha by the collar, not bothering to ask his disappointment.

"I can't believe you'd let us believe in that false promise of yours.

_"I said I'd help, but I didn't mention anything about going to the war zone,"_ Alvieha corrected. _"It's nice that Sister Theresa is currently sleeping, but... I'm not that confident with my potion-making skills. I never was. If something would happen to her because of what I made her drink, I _**_have _**_to be here to see through it."_

The completely pissed off male then pushed Alvieha away before storming off, tutting with dissatisfaction.

_"I-I'm sorry, __Finral__."_

"There's nothing to be sorry about, to be honest," Finral sounded positive. "But, at this point, I can barely send us back to the mountains. I have to rest more."

_"With that, I can do something. Get Gauche and meet me in the next room."_

The brunet then quick did as what he was told. Though quite nervous of what could happen, Finral still got Gauche to go to the adjacent room.

Once there, they were welcomed by two things.

Alvieha, and a distortion of space right beside her.

_"For now, don't use your magic, __Finral__. You'd need it to transport more than two people later on. You can use this portal to go back to the mountains."_

"And are you confident that you'd send us to where we came from? Not to a completely different area?"

Alvieha thought she had it coming, so she took the irate remarks openly. _"Yes. I'm really sorry that I couldn't go with you. I'm just not that of an expert when it comes to making potions, but, at the very least, I can send you guys to the correct place. Are you ready?"_

Gauche became serious and nodded. Finral responded as well, but not as resolute.

_"If something serious _**_does_**_ come up, __Finral__, feel free to get me from here." _

And with that, the two men marched into the void and vanished from the town of Nairn.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a cavern not so far away, three men were facing off. One of them was suspended in thin air, his whole body coated in blinding light. Metres away were the other two men and they got themselves inside a sphere of darkness.

They were certainly **not **in the offensive.

_To be completely honest, _thought the adult inside the dark shell. _There's nothing we can do right now. _

He and his opponent had been exchanging blows for some time, evident in the bruises all over their skins. The clash was between light and dark, two opposing affinities in a duel. To an untrained eye, a stalemate would be the outcome. Yet, the Light Magic user had more prowess.

And, his grimoire had four leaves on it.

It was like a fight between a dog... and a lion. And this dog was now trapped in a corner. A grim corner.

"Grit your teeth and stand firm," the older male advised his younger companion. "That's all we can do right now."

And the man airborne was now fully prepared. With confidence in his voice, he declared the end.

"Farewell, Yami Sukehiro."

At that moment, space got distorted a few metres from the scene. And as a rift was created, two people emerged. The light around them was so blinding, it caused the brunet to be in a frenzy.

"Whoa, what the hell?! Did we come to the wrong place?"

"Look!"

At Gauche's word, two pairs of eyes quickly checked the surrounding. The place was in complete disarray. Boulders shattered. The floor littered with broken stones and drops of blood. But what caught their attention was the blinding luminescence that greeted them at the very start.

It was raining from high in the air. From someone they couldn't even place a silhouette on.

Not far from the source, a big enclosure of darkness was standing.

"That's Yami-san's magic," Finral noted. "Gah! This has gotten way out of hand!"

And they were right on cue.

"Light Magic" Ray of Divine Punishment."

An intensified beam of pure light then quickly pierced through the air, with speed impossible to match. It was heading towards Yami and his companion, both who couldn't even do a thing. But, before curtains could close on them, Gauche vanished.

Using a mirror, he moved himself towards the direction of the attack, aiming to intercept it.

"He came."

Seconds before concentrated brilliance could harm him, Gauche utilised all the magic he obtained in his left eye and then summoned a giant mirror.

"Mirror Magic: Full Reflection!"

The powerful ray of destruction was then instantly sent back, returning to the direction from where it came and catching its caster dead in its tracks. And it did.

The attack was so great, it immediately sent the previous hovering man unconscious and onto the ground.

They turned the tables and came out victorious.

* * *

At the same time, back in Nairn, a woman in brown cloak was sitting right beside her patient. Alone.

Sister Theresa was still unconscious, slumbering peacefully to the right of the somewhat dissatisfied Alvieha.

_I... I did the right thing, right?_

_"Yes, you surely did."_

Out of nowhere, a masculine voice penetrated her mind. If it wasn't a familiar voice, the mage could have prepared herself for combat. Lucky for her, it was Cirxen.

_"If you went there and even just let you be seen by... whoever __Yami__-san and the others are up against, things would most likely go to a different direction. As much as possible, we have to appear so insignificant, we won't be heard of in any tales or reports."_

_"Being a Rover and the First Ace most likely sent that idea down the drain already, don't you think?"_

_"Not exactly."_

Before Alvieha could ask she began hearing whimpers near her.

Sister Theresa was waking up. And she was in need of attention.

Alvieha asked Cirxen to hold on for a while as she catered to the groggy nun. She gave her water, some food, and called the healing mages to do a quick check on the elderly's physical condition.

Confirming that Sister Theresa would be fine, she excused herself from the room and headed to a secluded area.

_"__Cirxen__... do you think _**_this_**_ was a bad idea to begin with?"_

_"Hey. If you think it's a bad idea, how would my thought be of any difference? Nor hers? It's how you process these things that would affect all of us. Remember that."_

_"I-I guess you're right. It's really nice to talk to someone I really trust."_

_"Well, this conversation is weird enough as it is," _the other line heaved a sigh before continuing. _"Anyway, I believe the reinforcements I sent there have already arrived."_

_"Who did you get?"_

_"Helmet Lady, Pompous Silver, and Mr. Sharp-face."_

_"Well, isn't that a good mix."_

_"Not the best combination we can pull on short notice, but, that's enough. Most likely. Hopefully."_

_"I know I could count on you. Well, excuse me for a while. I guess I better do something else while I'm here."_

_"Just remember. Moderatus actus__."_

_"Of course."_

And the line disconnected. Now completely revved up, Alvieha headed out of the church, not before asking some nuns along the way to do something for her.


	10. Chapter IX

**IX - The Story of Love: The Restoration**

* * *

From what blowing have been telling her, forces nearby continued to clash.

Yet, Alvieha had something to do before even concerning herself with whispers.

As she arrived at the town square, people were already there. Nuns were lined up at the sides and so did parents. In the centre, children gathered.

A young girl named Marie, the child wearing a black cloak, everyone. Those who were caught up in the entire ordeal.

Two feet slowly made their way into the centre of the crowd. Young eyes followed her back, curious, half-nervous. But, they didn't need to.

_"According to what I heard, there are those here that were tricked by bad men. The sad thing here is that, because of what they did, some of you may never be able to use magic ever again."_

Unrest slowly rose. Mothers were shocked. Fathers got nerves struck. Even the nuns didn't fail to express pity and sadness. Most of all, children began to show tears.

_"But, that's why all of you are here."_

Out of her cloak, Alvieha spread her arms wide, fingers close to one another. With her head held high, her eyes were at the skies.

She began to mumble. Words that flowed out were soft and low, and foreign to the ears of the minds, young and old, that stood near her. Alvieha, then, had her eyes shut.

She began to concentrate.

While words still left her lips, a film of white light began to cover each child in the square. Slowly, they ascended in the air, not as high as the rooves of homes, but not too low for an adult to reach without jumping.

Some felt excited; others felt scared. One child was about too wet his pants.

For seconds, they were suspended in mid-air, unstable. But, when Alvieha stopped speaking, all the children became still. Their bodies ceased moving. She opened her eyes.

_"Nil __desperandum__."_

At those words, the brilliance encasing each small body began to glow further. From the outside, each child was becoming covered with so much light, adults couldn't make out of the youth.

But, beyond their skins, minuscule particles began flowing into their veins. Riding with blood, the tiny portions of matter quickly spread all throughout their nervous system, reaching each muscle and tissue present in a child.

Alvieha stayed silent, but parents around her were starting to worry.

She knew that.

From their eyes, what's happening could appear as a ritual of negative nature. Some of the anxious would be racing towards her within moments.

But, she didn't falter. Besides...

The procedure was about to end.

After a few more seconds of agonising patience, children began to descend slowly into the solid streets of Nairn. Some still had light around them when they reached the earth, others lost theirs while reaching for the pavement.

More seconds later, all light dissipated from the area. The victims have all landed safely.

Slowly, Alvieha retracted her hands into her cloak. She glanced left and right, checking for any irregularity, before speaking once she felt satisfied.

_"The magic I just did to each and every one of you kids is to simply restart your bodies, eliminating the fact that __mana__ was just removed from you. Now, all should be the way it should be. However, there may be lucky ones here whose magic development was accelerated. But, overall, none of you can no longer be incapable of using magic."_

At the end of the announcement, people began to cheer. Children quickly to their parents, crying tears of joy for what happened. Other young ones immediately tried to create magic, but mostly failed.

The nuns approached Alvieha to express their thanks and Alvieha simply responded with a smile.

Once all settled, the female mage returned to the church, to check up on Sister Theresa. A little girl accompanied her.

_"You just got healed, Sister Theresa,"_ Alvieha said with concern while holding a knife and a fruit. _"You can get back to sleep if you want."_

"In that case, why are you peeling an apple?"

_"I didn't say this is for you. This is for me and Marie-__chan__," _the woman handed a cut piece to the little girl on the bedside. _"We have to be careful of your sugar intake."_

"Apples don't give you diabetes."

_"Oh, please. Your skin is so dried up, the slices would instantly dehydrate inside your mouth. If you still tell me that dried fruits don't give you diabetes, we'd really need to have your brain checked __ou__– Hey! Get your hands off my apple, __you__ wrinkly witch!"_

The room filled with life.

Alvieha, Sister Theresa, and Marie shared a few laughs and more apple slices for some time, until none was left and Alvieha excused herself to the kitchen. Marie stayed with Sister Theresa who slept to rest afterwards.

* * *

While the telepath was busy filling herself with more apples, heroes arrived at Nairn.

Using Finral's portal, ten people arrived into town. For Gauche, he instantly searched for his sister. For Yami, he quickly looked for a toilet. The other captains relaxed for a bit, while a young man with ashen hair instantly fell unconscious. He was taken care of by people with golden cloaks who were with them.

Alvieha looked for Cirxen's reinforcements. And she found them outside the church doors.

_"Thanks for your hard work, honeys."_

She didn't come as a surprise for any of them.

"When Cirxen gave me a ring dead at night, I was certain it had your name written on it," a male with silver hair spoke.

"It's been a while since we saw you, Alvieha," the man with green cloak added, not before cackling.

"Alvieha-san, it's nice to see you again." The woman with a helmet sounded more accommodating, yet, as serious as the first guy.

_"Still, I really appreciate you three coming all the way here."_

"If it wasn't for Cirxen, I may haven't even bothered leaving my house."

_"Don't say that, __Nozel__-san,"_ Alvieha closed the gap between them and ran her fingers up his chin. _"I believe you got some frustrations out of your system thanks to that."_

"Why didn't you yourself go there," the man with sharp features asked.

_"I had something to do here,"_ Alvieha was calm, while images of Gauche being pissed at her flashed in her mind. _"I couldn't leave."_

"In that case, I would like to return to our base now, Alvieha-san, if it's okay."

The hooded lady continued being cheerful. _"Well, allow me to send you guys myself as thanks for the help you've done. I'll send a word to __Cirxen__ myself later."_

One by one, Alvieha sent off the three captains to their respective destinations using the same way she sent Finral and Gauche away earlier that day.

After the lady has sent Jack the Ripper back to his base, Alvieha went to look for Yami and talk about the incident.


	11. Chapter X

**X - The Story of Love: The Rover**

* * *

The mass kidnapping was finally over. At least, in the meantime.

After hearing what she had to from the one captain Alvieha could describe as morbid, Yami was sent away by the woman. Finral and Gauche stayed behind, waiting for their exhausted junior to get up on his feet.

The Magic Knight who relayed everything to the capital finally got to meet with her teammates. And while Noelle Silva masked her worry about his fellow Black Bull companion, those from Golden Dawn didn't bother stopping with taking care of the ashen-haired male while he slept.

Especially Klaus Lunettes, who swung by the church every time he finished tending to his dear junior.

Alvieha found the exchange of affection quite endearing, but didn't bother herself joining in. Instead, she went back and forth between Sister Theresa's chamber and the town square where she entertained children.

* * *

Before returning to the capital, three Black Bull Magic Knights found themselves inside an eating establishment. The ashen-haired Asta was busy replenishing his lost energy one bowl of food after the other while the silver-haired noblewoman feigned lack of concern.

Meanwhile, an older mage was eyeing the glutton with an intent to kill. His younger sister was evidently enjoying the moment when a memory flashed in her head.

"Ah," Marie squeaked. "I forgot."

The male beside him looked at her, curious.

"There's someone I'd like you to meet, Asta. She was the one who helped Sister Theresa get all better."

The Magic Knight then hastened his pace, eager to meet this person Marie was talking about.

After saying thanks to his hostess and her family, Marie held Asta by the hand and pulled her somewhere into town. Noelle became interested as well, not knowing who this person is, so she followed. Behind them, Gauche was still wishing a certain someone's demise, but faintly got a hold on himself at the suspicion of whom his sister was meeting with.

* * *

A few more corners later and the ashen-haired knight found himself in awe. Left and right, children were in the air, enjoying. Some of them were having a pretend swimming contest, while others role-played as superheroes with flight capabilities. There were some who did other things, but all bore smiles on their faces.

In the middle of the street, a mysterious figure beneath a cloak was sitting on a wooden stool. Asta couldn't make out the person's identity as even the head was protected by a hood.

Before the male could react further, the tiny hand holding his disappeared and Marie ran towards the unknown being.

"Alvieha-san!"

At the sound of the merry child, the person stood up and turned to her guests. Alvieha then shut the book she held with one hand and crouched herself while quickly opening her arms to catch the young girl in an embrace.

Beside the swords user, Noelle was just as lost for words.

"A-Alvieha-san..."

The hooded mage propped Marie on her shoulders and stood. _ "It's been a while, Noelle-chan. When I heard from __Cirxen __ that you joined the Black Bulls, I was highly ecstatic." _

The noblewoman still couldn't express her joy. "S-Since when were you here?"

_"Two days ago." _ Alvieha freed Marie after the girl asked to be put down. _"Who knew you'd be here, as well." _

"W-Whoa!" Asta screamed beside the teammate. "You can talk without moving your lips!"

_"I'm a telepath, __Asta__-kun." _Green eyes quickly reflected complete confusion.

_How did she– _

_"Marie-__chan __ told me a lot of things about you." _

Before Asta could talk more, the third mage with them moved forward, his voice completely laced with unexpected grief.

"A-Alvieha..." Gauche didn't know how to start.

At that moment, he was certain that the heat of the moment caught up to him. If it didn't, he couldn't have acted such a manner to the woman. The two have been comrades for quite some time already. And she is one of the few people within the Magic Knights community that brings joy to his sister.

Deep down, he felt he wronged. And he wanted to make amends. It hasn't been long, yet, he didn't want to continue feeling conflicted every time his eyes would land on the woman.

"I-I'm sorry for lashing out on you back then. I shouldn't have done that. You thought your presence would be more important with the old hag, so you chose to stay. I should have not acted that way."

And to be honest, Alvieha was caught off-guard by the apology.

So much, a smile instantly sneaked up her lips. But, her chest was filled with words to say as well.

With a snap of a finger, every floating child slowly descended onto the ground. They whined and wished to continue playing, but Alvieha felt they shouldn't be there at the moment.

_"I'm sorry kids, but, perhaps, we can continue playing some other time. We adults have to talk about something. Marie-__chan__, can you take the kids somewhere else?" _

The young girl understood it well and invited the children to the church. Gauche was uncharacteristically serious, his temperament not swayed even after his beloved kin left.

When the small ones had departed, only the four Magic Knights were left behind. And Alvieha started off, calmly.

_"But, I was also in the wrong back then. I should have been clearer. You were right. I gave you and __Finral __ false hope when I initially said I'd help. I'll try not to do that next time." _

_"I'm sorry for what I've done, Gauche." _

_"__Uhm__... Hug?" _

The young lady slowly raised her arms, waiting for a certain tall male to embrace. She felt not an ounce of shame in asking that. For her, it was natural, but it wasn't for Gauche.

It was cringe-worthy.

"Could we not do that?"

As her gentle grin immediately turned sour, Alvieha instantly snapped her finger.

Within seconds, immense pressure formed around the two adults. When Gauche ran his eyes around him, a dense force field had already surrounded them.

He was trapped. And knowing Alvieha, he wouldn't be able to get out. Unless...

_"Either of us __ain't __ going anywhere until you give me a hug, Gauche Adlai." _

Gauche was pondering on it.

_"Come and give me a big hug, honey." _

It didn't take long for the thick force to disappear as quickly as it popped up. Behind the dissipated barrier, Gauche was a red mess, his hand covering his tinted cheeks, while Alvieha openly giggled.

"You really are embarrassing sometimes."

_"You know me, honey. If I want a hug, I'll get a hug." _

At the sides, Noelle didn't hide her awe. _ Alvieha__-san really is powerful, huh_, she thought. Beside her, Asta was more impressed.

_W-What was that? It immediately appeared just after she snapped her fingers. _

_"Are you all right, __Asta__-kun? A-__Asta__-kun?" _

It took a while for Asta to be frozen and when he came to, Alvieha was already in front of him, waving her hands over his face.

Energy then quickly surged within Asta, complimenting the magic he just witnessed. In return, Alvieha could only smile sheepishly.

"D-Don't even think of getting on Alvieha-san's bad side, Baka-Asta," huffed Noelle as she flipped her hair. "She's not someone you can mess with."

"E-Eh? A-Alvieha-san, how strong are you?!"

Before the said mage could process a word, Noelle beat her to it. With smug, she began to describe the woman.

"She's someone who directly gets orders from the Magic Emperor himself. Officially known as the Rover of the Clover Kingdom, she was recognised as a Grand Magic Knight at an early age and currently has no squad affiliation."

"She's Alvieha Laghda, the most powerful female Magic Knight I know."


	12. Chapter XI

**XI - The Story of Faith: The Traitor**

* * *

"Cirxen! Where's my food?"

"Put a sock in it, wench. Can't you see I'm working here?"

It's a peaceful, sunny day in the Royal Capital and Alvieha decided to drop by the palace. And because she had her cloak washed, she had her long, straight, golden hair with black highlights tied to a ponytail, in contrast to its usual loose state beneath the hood. Her outfit, a loose, black blouse over a pair of loose leg pants and a pair of black sandals, wasn't hidden at all. Over her shoulders, she donned a white robe with black trimmings. An insignia of a clover in gold with black trimmings was displayed on the robe's left chest area. On her wrists, gold rings connected by a long, black chain that run around her back hung.

She got herself to sit on a couch while a male with snow-white locks whose uniform was almost identical to hers – save for the lack of gold links and other minor details, got himself buried with paperwork. The Magic Emperor disappeared in the middle of the day and left Cirxen to handle his work, much to the younger male's chagrin.

"Make yourself useful and grab me some tea."

"Darjeeling or Camomile?"

"Anything but black."

As Alvieha left her seat to approach the exit, a certain tall man ushered himself inside, earning a pleased yet shocked from the woman.

"Julius-san! I thought you went to the market."

"I think I've seen everything in the market for today. Thanks for checking in for Marx and Cirxen."

"My pleasure," responded Alvieha with a curtsy.

Behind them, a certain knight heard every word crystal clear. Obviously ticked off, he plotted a quick revenge.

His eyes darted on Alvieha from the corner of his eyes while she reached for the door, and when the woman was about to grab the knob, a hole immediately opened beneath her, sending Alvieha instantly to where Cirxen led her. With a yelp, the Rover left the room.

Left behind, Julius slowly began feeling cold air run up his spine.

"So..." the younger male dropped his pen. "You were in cahoots with Lady Loose, Julius-san?"

"C-Cirxen... I..."

"I would be expecting a certain middle-aged man to remain in this room until all the paperwork is done," declared the male as he headed for the door. "I hope the documents would be dealt with by the time I get back 'cause if not..."

"Well, we don't want to go there, now do we? Excuse me. I'd go look for Marx-san now."

"Cirxen! No!"

* * *

For the rest of the day, the Magic Emperor stayed in his office, as what his personal bodyguard asked him to do. With all the necessary tasks done, he found himself staring towards the town below through a window, now eased, when Marx, his personal adviser, entered.

Beside the blue-haired mage stood Alvieha with a fruit on one hand.

"Mahoutei-sama," Marx started. "I have sent a message to all of the Magic Knights Captains regarding tomorrow's conference."

"Thanks, Marx," replied the older male while still facing against him. "I don't want to believe it, but it's clear that there's a traitor among us who's connected to the Eye of the Midnight Sun."

"And I'll find out who it is tomorrow."

Several days past, havoc swept through the Capital. Opposition sent out the undead and disrupted the peaceful city. Beyond the façade of the chaos, the real target became under fire. In the end, he lost a limb, a magic stone in his possession, and consciousness.

And Fuegoleon Vermillion was yet to awaken.

The Rover in the room didn't express any thought into the matter – she just lent her ear, but the male with her was full of it. Simply put, he was uneasy.

"But... Are you sure this is going to work?"

"It'll all depend on Asta-kun."

* * *

The next day, while Julius and Marx were somewhere else in the palace, two mages were stuffing themselves with food in a kitchen.

"Shouldn't we be working?"

"And miss an opportunity like this? I don't think so." And Alvieha continued with the pastry on her spoon.

"What do you mean miss an opportunity? You're inflating yourself with food ever since you stepped in here. One more whole cake and you'll end up worse than Gray's transformation."

And words of caution simply entered and left between ears. While Cirxen was exasperated trying to control his friend, an attendant came to them, telling the two they were wanted underground.

Alvieha didn't feel like moving an inch, so, Cirxen just warped themselves to their destination through a portal underneath them. As they arrived at the area, Julius was alone with two completely bound prisoners, one completely aged woman, and a fairly younger male.

"So," Alvieha broke the ice while still holding a plate of strawberry cheesecake. "Found anything, Julius-san?"

"Not yet. Asta would be here in a while with Marx. I want the two of you to stand witness to whatever would happen."

While supposedly waiting for their visitor, Alvieha stand in front of the two captives, her eyes checking things per detail.

"Is either of them the one responsible for... you know..."

"Not the slightest. Neither of them looks to have any capability of nailing down Fuegoleon," said Cirxen as he stood beside the lady.

"Well, that's great, 'cause if it was one of these two..."

On her hand, the slice of dessert and the ceramic itself turned into dust in a blink of an eye. The residue slowly ran down her palms and coloured the black canvass that was the dirty room floor.

"It would've been a mess and I won't be bothered."

"It's actually great that they're not the ones," Cirxen voiced knowingly. "Otherwise, I have to work."

"You really know me very well!" And the mage was smiling again.

A few more minutes later, the massive door of the room creaked open. When a faint excuse echoed into the dark, all three unrestricted mages stood in waiting. While Julius was the one who actually welcomed Asta and Marx, Cirxen and Alvieha simply blended into the background, occasionally snickering and out-right laughing – vocally and telepathically, at the Magic Emperor's childish behaviour.

But, when Marx stepped in, both knew it.

Things were about to begin.

At Julius' request, Asta summoned a black sword from his dark grimoire. All eyes were on the ashen-haired male as he softly bumped the heads of the prisoners with the pommel of his weapon. In an instant, a wave of magic oozed out of their foreheads.

The old lady and the young man had their minds locked to prevent any information that they know from leaking to their opponents. With such powerful magic, Marx, the one in-charge of interrogations, failed to progress with his quest for answers. But, now that the chains have been undone, he can finally get to the bottom of things.

Hopefully, the two captives had something in their brains.

Once Asta's work was done, Marx began to sew the pieces. With the Black Bull knight, the Rover, the First Ace, and the Magic Emperor himself as witnesses, light was almost within reach.

* * *

Asta came to the palace with his squad captain, Yami Sukehiro. And the buff man was with his fellow leaders.

After getting all they needed, Julius summoned Yami and the other captains to where they were. And once everyone was gathered, the truth came rushing like bullets.

In front of the present eight Squad Captains, the Anti-Magic user, and his special attendants, Julius headed straight to the holy grail that day.

"Now, would you kindly tell me which one of these captains is the traitor which aided the Eye of the Midnight Sun? Tell me their name."

"It's..." the controlled captives answered monotonously and in sync. "The captain of the Purple Orcas, Gueldre Poizot."

All captains didn't see it coming. It was a shock.

Especially to Gueldre who declared his complete loyalty. To him, why would he even betray Clover Kingdom?

However, rumours about the captain's supposed shady transactions began to fill the room. Charlotte, Nozel, even Yami testified to have heard of such dark secrets.

Gueldre continued to deny. "Don't be ridiculous! Th-This must be some kind of mistake," he added.

"I know! They're trying to frame me as a traitor!" And he pointed his finger at the terrorists.

"They're only telling me what they know, plain and simple," Marx interjected. "Information obtained with my memory exchange magic is absolute."

The masked man couldn't argue. He fell into a corner.

To straighten things out, Yami raised a suggestion.

"Why not just let the guy with the bowl cut look at your memories? If you're really a clean ham, that is."

Aside from Gueldre's, no other objections towards the action were raised.

The Purple Orcas captain tried to talk his way out of it, but the pressure was amounting. Eyes were now on him and it was chaffing. No decent words were leaving him, either.

"So, it really is you," Asta alleged. "Because of you, Captain Fuegoleon was..."

Before the young male could launch his frustration, Alvieha blocked him by an arm, quickly urging the younger Magic Knight to calm down.

Fearing there was no way out of him, the accused declared a strategic retreat. With a quick flip over his grimoire, he turned himself invisible.

And the chase was on.

Yami and Charlotte were first to engage in combat, but the Briar Magic user was worried.

The Transparency Creation Magic of the Purple Orcas captain made him vanish for a set amount of time and lets any form of spell go right through him. Whatever magic she and the other captains could do were pointless.

To put more obstacles, moving invisible soldiers were materialised to hold off any attempts to catch.

The remaining captains began to block any shrouded swords coming their way, unable to quickly go after the target.

But Yami was calm. With a cigarette on one hand, he showed no panic.

* * *

Using the ability he unlocked while fighting against terrorists several days past, Asta easily knocked Gueldre off his feet. Before the accused could have escaped further, the captain of the Azure Deer showed up and lifted his paint brush. From his palette, rivers of colours mixed together surrounded Gueldre. Later, splashes of hue rained down on him and began dragging him down the floor.

Seconds later, the escapee was bound. The alleged became trapped in a large piece of painting spanning metres on the floor. The other captains then appeared, fully prepared to take on the ability of the Purple Orcas captain. Julius and Alvieha didn't fare any different.

They were ready to blast full force against the possible traitor.

While Asta fell dumbfounded to the showcase of strength in front of him, as every captain was ready to break loose, Cirxen was fairly calmer than the rest.

"I was a bit excited to cut loose as well, to be honest."

"Your cake already suffered enough damage. Spare the ham the same fate."

At the end of the day, they got their answer. It was indeed Gueldre. To rake in some cash for himself, he sold, embezzled, and smuggled. He kidnapped those responsible for the border around the capital.

They got their confession.

To avoid any possible unrest to arise, Julius asked the disclosure to be wrapped under sheets. And after that was settled, the captains were dismissed.

Aside from Yami and Asta. They had to follow upstairs.


	13. Chapter XII

**XII - The Story of Faith: The Mission**

* * *

_"W-What do you mean I'll go with them? I know I'm beautiful with a great body, but I am _**_not_**_ a mermaid!"_

"Quit over-reacting, you, wet tramp."

After settling the unrest, Julius asked Yami and Asta to follow him to his office.

It turned out that their captives knew more of what they wanted to hear. Following Fuegoleon's assault, Julius interrogated about the strange stone monument he encountered on the same day of the terrorist attack in the capital.

The Eye of the Midnight Sun was on a search for magic stones, stones that, once gathered, they could use to reborn themselves into their true forms.

Fantasy or not, Julius decided to come between the organisation and their goal. For the sake of the kingdom. And since there was still a possibility of more vipers in the capital, the Magic Emperor decided to send out Yami and his Black Bull squad to retrieve one of the uncollected magic stones.

And it was decided as well that Alvieha would be coming along with them.

"I don't know what mirror you use, but you are not there to swim and bathe in the sunlight. It's work."

It was already suppertime and the three of them – Julius, Alvieha, and Cirxen, gathered in the grand dining hall for their meal. Julius sat on his usual chair, the head seat closest to the massive painting hanging on the room wall, with Cirxen one chair away on his left and Alvieha one chair away on his right.

_"Julius-san, __care to share __your__ opinion on this one__?"_

The fairly amused man placed his utensils down before responding. "I have trust in Yami and his squad. However, I would also need an account from someone who won't be fighting to oversee the entire mission."

"Heard that, Alvieha? **Oversee**," Cirxen snickered as he cut his steak. "Use your eyes in this mission, not your mouth or whatever lump of flesh you have underneath that uniform."

The woman across him mentally gasped, mocked hurt. _"Just because you don't have this delectable body that I have, it doesn't mean you can vent your pent-up sexual energy on me."_

"Please. Your body's delectable and I wear a bra," retorted Cirxen as he slid meat down his throat. "Just do your obligation without being thirsty for anything but water."

Not so far from them, Julius ceased to bother masking his amusement and let out a hearty laugh.

"Your combination is just too entertaining for me. What great friends, you two are."

On his right, Alvieha took it as a compliment and smiled. _"If you're this impressed, wait till you meet __Brexton__."_

"He wouldn't," Cirxen interrupted. "He wouldn't be able to. We all know how that would be the case."

And the three continued to enjoy their meal.

* * *

The next day, Alvieha left the castle earlier than usual. Using Cirxen's magic, she was sent immediately to the Black Bulls base.

Cirxen then found himself on his way to the kitchen to get himself something to drink. On his hand, he held a small case, rectangular in shape and black in colour, something his friend left behind. As he turned to a corner, he found the blue-haired adviser of the Magic Emperor starting his day.

"Good morning, Marx-san." His voice was fairly devoid of any grogginess at that point.

The male adviser gave his pleasantries. "You're awfully earlier than the usual."

"I had to send Alvieha off."

"Ah. The Magic Emperor asked her to observe the Black Bulls in action."

"Most likely." With Marx right beside him, the white-haired male approached the counter instantly after reaching the kitchen. "She was refusing at first, but, it was clear as water that Alvieha wouldn't really say no to Julius-san."

"Can I ask something?"

Cirxen gave permission while pouring himself a glass of water.

"You and Alvieha-san have been working here for quite some time, but, I haven't heard either of you calling Mahoutei-sama by his title." Water halted flowing down the jug. "May I ask why?"

"Mahoutei-sama is Mahoutei-sama. Julius-san is Julius-san. What's there to be hung up about?"

"S-Should you guys call Mahoutei-sama with the proper title he actually has, especially in front of the people? As a sign of respect."

For Cirxen, there was no harm in what Marx was suggesting.

Julius Novachrono **is** the current Magic Emperor. At the very least, that should be arranged. Addressing the man appropriately, especially while in public, would send the message of reverence.

Yet...

"It just doesn't roll naturally off my tongue, Marx-san. And Julius-san doesn't seem to mind," Cirxen took a sip. "Besides. Respect is relative. You don't need fancy titles nor distinction to be respected. Those who think otherwise are scum."

_And I can't really say that it was Julius-san himself who asked that. __I can't be bothered with interrogations. _

The male then cleaned after himself before leaving Marx in the kitchen.

"But if you really feel that way, I'll try to keep it in mind."

_Then again, I may end up barking up the wrong tree. Like a certain airhead who should really show her face sometime. _

* * *

Later that day, the white mage was summoned by the Magic Emperor to his chambers.

"I'm certain that you have as much authority as Alvieha when it comes to the matter I'd ask you–"

"Hold it right there, Julius-san." Cirxen was composed, even after interrupting the blonde male. "I may have the same level of authority as Vie [vee ye] regarding what I'm expecting you'd ask, but you won't get anything from me."

"We are not here to disrupt the flow of events. It would be a domino effect and we'd rather want to find no new pieces of the puzzle at the end of the game. It'll be a pain if they won't fit in the current hole."

Behind the window, adorned shoulders slumped. "I just would want to know if I'd spend time properly..."

"Focus on the matters at hand. Leave everything else to fate... that's one of Vie's friends would say. But if it were me, just spend what you have with the best of what you want. Carpe Diem."

Cirxen wasn't a dull knife to figure out what was ruffling the Magic Emperor. However, as he did say, it's under his field, but rather slip nothing in it. For all he knows, it's for the best.

His chest may had been aching, but, he had to control it. At least, not let Julius catch his discomfort. He had to bear a nonchalant face.

With a heavy sigh, Julius tried to cheer himself up while his personal bodyguard stood across him.

"Now that that's done, there's something I'd like you to do."


	14. Chapter XIII

**XIII - The Story of Faith: The Stranded**

* * *

"Well, how are things on your end?"

_"So far, it's fun. The sun is shining, the beach is clean, and we are getting wet."_

"Listen here, Loose von Dreiex. You're there to observe Yami and his team, not fish yourself some hot meal up and down the hot, clear sandy Raque coastline using your lump of flesh that's anything but eye-catching."

_"Who said anything about catching men? I'm more into the swimming. It's been ages since I visited a beach. Besides... I don't need to __flash __my skin. They'd get attracted to me regardless."_

"A dog in heat must be embarrassed when standing next to you."

_"__At least I'm enjoying my youth. Unlike a certain saint-wannabe out __there__ whose neglecting his itching hands__."_

After Julius had summoned Cirxen to his office, alone, the First Ace then found himself travelling out to a certain island the next day.

_Cirxen__. I would like you to personally investigate a remote island near the waters of the Clover Kingdom. I have sent men to this place in the past, but, one is yet to return with any information. With your magic, perhaps, it would be easier for you._

One detailed briefing afterwards and he got himself on a boat.

"Cirxen-san, this may be the farthest I can take you," cried the man holding the oars. "The sudden storm made the water in these parts turbulent. We may capsize."

"This is close enough. Thanks for the help. I can take it from here."

Once he handed the fisherman a bag of gold, the white-haired male quickly flipped his grimoire as it floated in mid-air over his chest.

"Spatial Magic: Diluted Cosmos."

Within seconds, Cirxen slowly blended into the environment. While the First Ace gradually became see-through to the fisherman, the boat owner could still visually trace the figure of the other male.

Once done, Cirxen took a step forward, into the water.

He didn't submerge. He didn't even touch the sea.

He was above it.

The male wasn't entirely floating nor flying, but, his body has become so light, so weightless, that he seemed to use the air molecules under him as stepping-stones.

"Thanks for the trip, sir."

With a slight nod, Cirxen began walking further from the vessel.

* * *

He started his departure from the boat walking. But, at the middle of the expedition, he decided to propel himself.

Channelling strength to his feet, he pushed himself, piercing the air. As his body currently neglected his actual weight, the force shot him quick and far within seconds. Opposing winds simply passed through his body, completely not hindering his speed. The unforgiving waves below him was entirely forgotten.

It took less than a minute of exertion until he found land.

Once he got closer to the coastline, he slowly rematerialised himself, weight returning little by little and gravity quickly pulling him down towards the sandy beach. _Is this the island_, he wondered.

While his eyes scanned the surrounding for any signs of life or unnatural occurrence, he tried to remember what the briefing the previous day informed him.

_Fishermen near the island said to have seen signs of __human __activities o__n the island. While the nearby villages have sent people to investigate__ in the past__, none returned. Some Magic Knights even ended up missing after they have gone to this place, only to be found unconscious on the coast of nearby fishing __towns __with no recollection of what happened to them. Because of that, those living near the area have become scared of going near it, not wanting to disappear like those who came there first._

_Cirxen__. This may even be part of the Eye of the Midnight Sun's territory. Find out what's going on in the island and report back any signs of threat or mishaps. _

The male in his early twenties then traced the shoreline, scouting for anything strange sticking out of the sand.

Minutes turned into hours and he was yet to circle the entire island. It was massive for one man to check alone.

When he saw a humanoid figure in the distance, however, the gears began to restart.

His legs sprinted, displacing specks of sand at every pace.

As he got closer to the body, Cirxen scanned from head to toe. It was a male. Skinny with relative muscles in figure, tanned in complexion, and ragged in appearance.

It appeared that he was washed ashore.

Checking for any sign of life, the Magic Knight ran his palms over the unconscious. From the head full of hair down to the unprotected soles, Spatial Magic was casted to detect any blood movements.

Cirxen felt rushes and surges. No clots. No abnormalities he learned to distinguish.

The man was all ri–

"Gah!" He sprang from the sand. It surprised Cirxen. Nevertheless, he inched away give the person some space.

"Are you all right?" Cirxen wanted to confirm.

In front of him, the apparently younger male was still disoriented. Air still came and went through his mouth. His eyes still dilated.

"W-What happened," asked the confused man. "And who are you?"

"Cirxen of the Magic Knights. What's yours?"

"P-Paolo."

Cirxen lend the man a hand and pulled the other onto his own two feet. While calloused hands dusted sand off of tattered clothing, the First Ace simply waited in silence before uttering a sound.

"What brings you to this island?"

"I... I..." Paolo was still befuddled, his thoughts seemed to be caught in a complete haze. "I... was..."

Wanting not to strain the man further, Cirxen guided themselves under the shade of a nearby tree. He asked the other to sit down and relax before completing his response.

As the disoriented man leaned on the side of a palm tree, Cirxen wasted no time in making use of his magic. He dragged a coconut down, popped a hole on its hard exterior, and offered the fruit to the other to be rehydrated.

* * *

"Thanks for that help, man."

"Don't mention it."

With the brown-skinned male now satisfied with water and food – thanks to the insides of the coconut, Paolo and Cirxen decided to sit under the shade and talk.

"So," golden irises stared into the vast, blue horizon. "What got you washed up towards this place?"

"I-I... was thinking of fishing for my family's food for the night. So, I decided to go fishing yesterday. Unfortunately, a sudden storm kicked in and completely smashed my boat."

"The fisherman who helped me come here did say a storm suddenly appeared out of nowhere here," added Cirxen while leaning on the coconut tree, his hands folded behind him as makeshift pillows.

"Y-You're a Magic Knight, aren't you? Can you help me get back on the mainland?"

"I could do that, but, I'm actually here to investigate the island," Cirxen replied without second thoughts.

When an idea popped in the tanned man's mind.

"How about a little agreement? I'll accompany you around the island, but, you have to help me with my problem later. It would probably be a bit boring to enter this place all by yourself. Who knows, I may even be useful for you down there and since you're a Magic Knight, you could protect me if ever something happens."

"I guess that's fair."

_I mean, what could possibly go wrong?_

"Thanks, bro. Well then," Paolo pushed himself off the sand. "Where shall we start?"


	15. Chapter XIV

**XIV - The Story of Faith: The Mystery**

* * *

"So... mind sharing what you know about this place?"

The moment Paolo and Cirxen made the pact, the two entered a dense jungle.

At first, there was nothing but coconut trees – not much of a forest.

But, when thicker trunks began to appear, the entire scenario changed from an outing near the beach to a simulation of a deep jungle exploration.

"Not much, really."

This was surprising for the Magic Knight. "What do you mean?"

"My family and I moved to our current home only recently," clarified Paolo as he manoeuvred around thick tree roots and low branches. "What I heard so far are only passed down from other fishermen."

"Which are?"

"From time to time, some of them would feel as if someone is looking at them from the direction of this place. Stares were so chilling and unnerving, that even the fishes would swim away for safety."

_That ain't helpful one bit,_ Cirxen thought to himself. _Shouldn't have expected something. _

"Anything else," the male asked as he passed right through a thick tree trunk.

"Nothing else... Except..."

The First Ace was eager to hear the rest of the sentence when his curiosity switched into suffering.

He has been using his magic since they got deeper into the area. Branches, large boulders, and even trees simply had no issue with him. If it wasn't enough, he wasn't looking to where he was going. He had his eye on the guy behind him.

That's when he slammed himself into something. Somehow, his magic failed him.

After picking himself up, he glanced above from his crouching position and glared at what was capable of blocking him.

A giant stone slab.

He would stand on himself, but still not reach the top edge of the stone. The width was just as big. He and Paolo would not be enough to cover the thing, even with arms extended. On its surface, weird carvings lined up, as if they were letters and trying to say a message.

Cirxen ran some fingers on the obstacle. "Thi...This is..."

Behind him, a cry was heard when a pack of rats rushed from behind Paolo. This got Cirxen to turn around and quickly make himself transparent for the rodents to easily pass through him.

With the critters now out of sight, two pairs of eyes returned on the mysterious monument in the middle of the dense, green abyss.

"W-Whoa." Paolo stared in awe as he came closer to the enormous figure. "This is amazing."

"Can you read what's on this thing?"

"Hell, no." _Strike two._ "I only imagined that since there's this weird thing in the middle of nowhere, this sign must be proof that someone did live here in the past."

In his mind, Cirxen was quite impressed. _Well, perhaps, I won't be going back to the benches anytime soon._

"Now, I can try looking for any antique on this island and sell them. Oh, the tubs of fish I can buy with the money I'd get."

_Perhaps not. _

Cirxen got himself up as Paolo's tanned appendages felt the rough texture of the slab.

"Cirxen-san," Paolo spoke without leaving the monument. "What would you do to whatever you'd find on this island?"

"Well, that depends. If there is something in this island or not. But..." He closed the gap between them. "What you said made sense. If this thing is here, someone **must** have lived in these parts. Come on let's do some more searching."

* * *

Two hours later, they found three more identical slabs in the condensed domain. Although they had varied heights and widths, all had engraved messages.

The sun was already meeting the horizon when Cirxen and Paolo decided to call it a day.

"Guess I better send you to the mainland now. You've helped me a lot already, Paolo."

"Are you kidding me," jested the other. "I love what we're doing. We're looking for a lost part of our world. A great wonder, this could be. I'm willing to stay with you 'till we get this settled, Cirxen-san."

"You ain't staying here any longer," Cirxen stood up to face Paolo, his face contorted with an unmoved demeanour. "As a Magic Knight, I can't possibly sacrifice your safety for companionship. Much so that it's almost nightfall and your family is waiting for you."

"You're here to protect me, isn't that right, Cirxen-san?" Paolo raised himself, his eyes sparking against the First Ace's.

While the eyes that paired the hue of the dimming sun shined with steadfast conviction to protect, the other pair, splashed with the colour of recently burnt firewood remains, was just as adamant.

"I am not leaving this island until we see the end of all of this, man. If something comes, I can also fight, not as well as you, but you can count on me to watch your back and you watch mine."

Both were burning to their core, neither willing to stand aside.

And the sun preparing its curtain call wasn't easing the tension either.

A heavy sigh was heaved. With hands on his waist, Cirxen gave up. "Well... You got me, bro. I'll let you stay. But, if something very dangerous comes, I will instantly send you back to the beach on the mainland whether you like it or not. Got that."

And the two males later buried the hatchet before any wood can be cut with a manly side-hug.

* * *

Evening.

The moon was now the witness to whatever occurred that night on that island.

And Cirxen and Paolo decided to rest in a cottage almost swallowed by vines that they found near one of the four giant stone slabs.

It wasn't a comfortable accommodation, but, that's what all they could have within an uninhabited piece of floating land in the outskirts of Clover Kingdom waters. With luck on their side at that time, they got to find blankets inside the broken closet of the dilapidated building. After removing the accumulated dust, they were contented. The First Ace even found several boxes and torn nets in the establishment, but paid them no heed.

Somehow, they decided it would be fun to try camping before hitting the sheets, so they cleared a small open space near the wooden establishment. For food, they found for themselves wild fruits. Some were even considered hard to come by in markets. And Cirxen wasted not a second.

"Wow," said the clearly impressed Paolo as he sat beside the campfire he started outside the cottage. "Aren't you too hungry for a hungry Magic Knight?"

"These fruits are rare even in the capital." Lying over his laid-out blanket, Cirxen responded as he finished one piece of the uncommon fruit. "Like hell I'd let this opportunity slip."

Paolo just let out a boisterous laugh, exalted.

The two continued enjoying themselves under the starry night in complete and comfortable silence.

Before they could consider it a day, nearby grasses rustled.

This alerted the ears of the two, but neither Paolo nor Cirxen moved from their position. The tanned male kept his instincts on guard while beside the fire. Meanwhile, Cirxen was completely lying down, his head over his arm. Nevertheless, he was just as cautious.

Suddenly, out of the darkness, several dark tentacle-like objects rushed and completely surrounded Paolo. From his limbs to his mouth, he was entirely restrained.

Cirxen instantly sprang up, feeling something odd and foreign nearby. But, the event happened so fast.

Before he could do anything, before he could raise a hand to rescue Paolo, the other male was pulled into the unlit jungle, vanishing into where the fire couldn't reach.

Cirxen was left alone in the campsite. However, that wasn't what was bothering him.

_Ho... How come I wasn't able to detect that sooner? _


	16. Chapter XV

**XV - The Story of Faith: The Teachings**

* * *

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Cirxen admits there are others who are faster than him when it comes to doing surprise attacks, but he can defend from one very decently. Years of experience could prove it.

But, the troubling factor in that sneak assault was...

He wasn't able to detect any magical presence. It was **only **when he already saw his partner being wrapped from head to toe that sparks flew. And when Paolo was eaten by the forest's darkness, any trace of magic disappeared along with him.

And his Spatial Magic couldn't catch up.

* * *

He found himself circling the dense jungle at night, hoping to find his abducted acquaintance. With a torch lit with flame from the campsite, he casted magic on himself and the fire to easily pass through other objects, helping him with the search with relative ease.

He tried following the trail he suspected the abductors took, but found no clue. No dice.

_Shit,_ Cirxen growled. _How did this happen?_

He partially materialised his free limb and smashed his hand into a nearby tree.

_This kind of thing never happened before..._

_…_

_Did it?_

He pondered deeply into the thought.

In his entire existence, was there an incident that had something to do with someone... **anyone**... who could perfectly conceal his magical presence or natural energy?

* * *

"Hey! Wait up!"

"Hurry up, you cheesecake. We have to be there before noon."

"But, I went back to get sunscreen."

"Conan," said by a man whose voice was deep and cool, and could beat a lady in many ways than one. "We ain't there for a swim. We have a mission. And the others are waiting."

The person referred to as Conan looked at the companion with eyes at the brink of tears. "But, we can't possibly return here at the base looking like barbecued ducks."

"Bulls would have been nice," said the other person. "But, fine. You have a point. I'd rather dye my beautiful hair than have my gorgeous, delectable face turn into charcoal."

"I never knew delectable could describe wrinkly, prune-like hogs."

Invisible darts quickly aimed at the outspoken male.

"Give me the sunscreen," offered the third party to Conan, pretending to ignore the one who previously spoke. "I can apply some on myself later."

Once the lotion was placed inside the black strap purse the third person carried, the sharp-tongued male pulled out a key from his pocket.

With a quick slash against the space in front of him, a void ripped open. Air was temporarily sucked into the vacuum before the three decided to pass through it.

At the other side of the rift was their destination. An island southwest of the Clover Kingdom mainland, but still part of its territory.

Three pairs of feet slowly touched the fine, white sand of the beach. And when two more pairs came by, the people of five now headed deep into the island's inner area, but not before one of them applied sun cream and the wide, gaping hole behind them shrank and disappeared.

After avoiding fluttering insects nearby, the section of the floating landmass they arrived to greeted the five mages with towering monoliths. They formed a circular pattern and each of the seven blocks of stone had pointed peaks and strange markings engraved on each side.

The smartest one with them, a male whose white locks reached his lower back and rivalled those of the females in the group in terms of smoothness and elegance was caught in a deep trance while bending towards one of the mysterious objects.

"I... I can't read these letters."

"What," asked the youngest of the five. "What do you mean you can't read that? The letters there are quite simple."

All eyes landed on Conan.

"What're you talking about?"

"Those letters are Svivali," Conan walked closer to the long-haired male. "It's a bit aged, and some strokes have been covered with moss, but the message is still understandable."

However, before Conan could try reading the alphabet, a pool of shadows formed from under the magic user's feet.

"Someone's coming," Conan said with a low voice.

The other four returned with a confused stare.

"I can sense no one," replied the fifth person with them.

Before the others could break a sweat, many tentacle-like appendages rushed towards them. Except for Conan, none was prepared.

The only alert mage blocked the incoming attacks, creating a shield of pure darkness around them from the shadow that oozed under him.

"W-What were those," asked one of the females in a panic.

"The residents of this island, most likely. Be on your feet in anyway against their shadow cloaks. They can hide themselves, their mana or ki, and completely fool their opponents."

"Like you can." Conan nodded.

* * *

While the hoots of owls soothed the night, Cirxen returned to their camping area. The fire previously alive has long retired. The only source of light left was his torch, and the wood was getting uncomfortably shorter.

The First Ace marched towards the huge stone monument near the old cottage. Upon closer inspection, his eyes shined amidst the swallowing darkness at the strokes and letter composition.

His hands reached for the adjacent stone slab. He felt the giant object. As he raised his head to see the engravings on the top part, his neck suddenly ached. But resumed to glue his eye on the aged piece of history after a few seconds.

The summit of the mammoth obstruction was beyond the reach of the poor flame Cirxen held, so, he opened two small rifts, one in front of him and the other inches above the first but closer to the higher texts. He plunged his head and the torch right in, and as he reappeared at the second opening, he continued checking the stone structure.

Few seconds later, he decided to return to the other three stone slabs. And he did it quickly while he still had light.

It wasn't easy navigating himself in a foreign territory, but, as soon as the fire went out, a clue popped in his head.

He wasn't entirely sure of it, but, it was a start.

Later, he found himself strolling somewhere in the island. With the torch completely not an option any longer, Cirxen coated himself with his spatial magic to easily avoid any more unexpected and undetectable assault.

That was what he was hoping.

When he got deeper into the darkness, away from the protection and support the illuminating stars provided, with nothing but instinct to back him up, he hit a wall.


	17. Chapter XVI

**XVI - The Story of Faith: The Strategy**

* * *

It was dark. And full of mysteries.

And for some reason, he was bound in chains.

At the back of his eyes, confusion ran amok.

_What the hell happened? How the hell did he get captured? And how come he can't phase through... whatever's binding himself down on the hard bench he is on?_

He tried to recall the events.

While treading down a cave he happened to under the cover of darkness, as he easily slipped through obstacles, his legs suddenly got restricted. Instantly bound together by something he couldn't make out, his arms followed. Within seconds, he was ensnared amidst nothingness.

Similarly, he wasn't able to detect any magical presence nor ki until it was way too late. Footsteps echoed near him and before he could open his mouth to retaliate verbally, his eyes slowly failed him.

When he came to, he was already inside a dark room. He supposed it was after scanning the surrounding. Thanks to the lit torches mounted near the closed entrance, he was able to come to that conclusion.

The walls were plastered with metal and so was the door. The hard accommodation he was on was most likely made of stone. The cuffs binding him looked to be so, as well, but, when his precious orbs compared the two, the material may be slightly different.

The one over his wrists were darker in colour. And was enough to prevent him from lifting his arms through them using magic. And his ankles were being confined in a similar way.

While he laid there, pondering how he can release himself somehow, beyond his confines, patterns of footsteps echoed. Some voices, obviously unfamiliar, also rang into his ears.

_I'm not alone_, he thought. _Don't tell me... _

When he returned his attention to his chains, he noticed its design. The darker stones only surrounded the front and sides of his wrists. The back was touching the cold, lighter-coloured stone chair he sat on.

If he couldn't raise his hands up...

Cirxen whispered. "Spatial Magic: Diluted Cosmos."

He lowered his hands down. As he expected, his arms smoothly glided through the supposed hard and solid piece of furniture. After he got his hands out, his legs followed.

Seconds passed, he was standing beside his earlier trap, tidying up the creases of his black shirt. Good thing for him, the door ahead didn't have any opening. He had the room to himself.

He first settled to adjusting his Magic Knights robe. Its white cloth was the only bright colour inside the room, aside from the flames, as his pants were of a darker hue. He glanced over the embroidered symbol of a clover leaf on his robe and quickly, a thought flashed in his mind.

Immediately, his hands roamed all over his body, from his neck to his trousers. He only stopped when he felt something hard inside his pocket. Hands came in to check the object and the First Ace then heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

Calmed down, his closed slippers began to move.

Until he stopped to think.

_I have a feeling I'm in the belly of the beast. _

_Better blend in on this one. _

And he did. He passed through the back wall and, luckily for him, he landed in a room void of any person, **if** the voices he heard did come from other humans.

There were scattered papers and scrolls on top of tables and chairs, both made of wood. Shelves were filled with dusty books. He leaned over the littered papers on the floor near him. Before he could begin reading, he heard voices, so he turned his magic up.

"Spatial Magic: Paleo Sirius."

Within seconds, his entire transparent but traceable existence totally blended with the surroundings. His figure, no longer detectable. And since he activated one magic while using another, the effects compounded.

He has become a completely untouchable man.

Right on time, two figures, taller than he was, entered the room. Both had black cloaks, covering themselves from head to toe. A black badge with white linings resembling a winged insect connected the two parts of the loose garment around the neck area.

At the very least, he couldn't exactly say that they were members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun. They didn't appear so to him.

They passed through Cirxen, unalarmed, while sharing thoughts with one another as they rummaged into the room, looking for something.

"The festival is almost around the corner and the main piece is still missing," said one of the two. It was a deep, hoarse voice, like, it was a man's.

"I know," replied the other whose voice was softer and leaned to feminine. "Even the new bloods are leaving no stone unturned."

"What's more is I heard that a strange force descended on the island."

"S-Strange force?" This got Cirxen to listen more attentively. "We already have enough problems. The missing centrepiece, the constant invasion from the mainland, and now **that**? We just want to live in peace."

"Don't worry about it," the other one sounded secured. "The scouts caught a very suspicious person near the cave entrance last night. I heard they got the trespasser bounded in one of the containment rooms."

"Hopefully, **that's** the strange force. Anyway. Found it yet?"

The companion shook his head. "I don't see anything that can contain it. Come on, let's search at the lower floors."

It didn't take long for the two to go. Cirxen slowly reappeared, scanning the area for any possible clues. The already neglected room became more disorganised. Books from the shelves were already scattered across the floor. The papers and scrolls on the table were buried underneath more dust.

One opened scroll below the chair caught his eye. As he bent to check it, a scream from the outside sent him chills.

"The intruder has escaped!"

In a snap, he reactivated his two spells, turning him and the held piece of information into transparent existence. As he walked out of the room without any care to the hooded figures running around, he had his eyes on the scroll.

While reading, possible accomplices of those who caught him went passed him without any problem, their screams of terror and panic completely shut off by the concentrating Magic Knight.

_This didn't help at all_, Cirxen thought to himself with confidence as he slowly rolled the scroll shut. _But, I better find Paolo now. Since they already knew I got out, they must be expecting me to rescue him._

He stopped on his path, trying to think a way out of wherever he was.

_One of those two did say I was caught near the cave entrance. In other words, I'm either in a chain of passages under the island or under a mountain. But since there __ain't__ any mountains here, it's probably the former. I can walk through the ceiling easily later, if there __ain't__ any black stones to stop me. For now, Paolo is the main priority. I have to find him and send him back to the mainland first before things turn more complicated. Luckily, __I have __Alvieha's__ key in my pocket space. _

_Better find out where they got him locked in. _

Without any pressure, he walked leisurely amidst the frantic, over-the-edge crowd. He phased through one wall and another, looking for his companion.

No luck.

While barging into rooms without raising any alarm, he got himself lost into a massive chamber.

Thanks to torches lit all around the area, Cirxen was able to scan his whereabouts. The ceiling was twice as higher than in the hallways and other rooms. Under it, black, stone pillars stood as support. They surrounded a large, circle on the floor. It had markings and strokes similar to the stone slabs that welcomed him in the jungle. In front of the circle, seven stone seats were propped along the wall. They formed a triangular formation with three seats on both sides of the highest one. Sets of stone staircases connected the elevated seats with the circle underneath, with the staircases meeting at one point before separating into seven.

On the left wall, a large cloth draped over something massive. A sign, the Magic Knight assumed.

Cirxen was evidently at awe with the structure, lost at the architecture, and failed to notice incoming presence.

The moment he did, his brain shut down.

"Is the corsage found yet?"

"Not yet, Your Grace. All of the available moths turned to looking for the escapee."

"No need for that. Ask everyone to resume looking for the corsage, please, Jenesy-san."

"W-What do you mean?"

"Our escapee is already here. Isn't that right, Cirxen-san?"

"P-Paolo..."


End file.
